The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-03-28
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
AGRlCULTURlSTS
some rr-to-Dste Hints About Cultivn-
non OF the Soil and Yields Thereof
"of''eui'are' Nitioulturs and Florlcul-
ture.
Treatment for Gel ry Blight

Areatment for Gel nv Blight
Charles o. Townsend, state patholo-
elst OF Maryland, says:
Inc great hindrance to the success
'ui production of celery in this state,
is the disease known as Rust or Blight
ms disease is produced by fungus
.nat attacks the leaves and stems caus-
'ns enem to assume yellowish color,
Win brown spots scattered over them
lhat increase in size, until the affected
'eaVes and stems die. If the conditions
are favorable for the development of
the fungus the leaves will become af-
fected so rapidly and to such an ex-
tent that the life of the plant will be
destroyed. If the conditions for the
development of the fungus are less fay-
i CRADLE only the outer leaves will die,
while the newer leaves will be but par
italy destroyed. The result will be
small plant of inferior quality. During
the past two years the rust has been
SO destructive in this state that num-
Der of growers have abandoned the
raising Of this otherwise satisfactory
crop. There is no fixed time for the
appearance of celery rust, but 1t is US
ually to be seen after a drought of
longer or shorter Duration, followed
by warm, damp weather. 1t must be
remembered that these weather condi-
lions alone will not produce rust. but
that the fungus spores must be pres
ent before the rust can make it's APP
pearance
In combating the disease therefore
1t Is necessary either to produce those
conditions under which the spores can
not terminate, or to spray some fungi
eide upon the plants that will destroy
the spores or at least prevent them
from terminating. In order to deter
mine which method of procedure
would be best, and for the purpose OF
finding satisfactory remedy for the
celery rust, number of experiments
We're undertaken on the college
grounds. From a part of one of the
celery beds four plats of about equal
size were laid off and treated as fol-
lows: No l was shaded, No. 2 was
sprayed with ammoniacal carbonate
of copper, No. 3 was sprayed with Bor-
desaux mixture while No. was left UNI
treated for comparison. In shading
NoS l a framework 10 inches high
wasNbuilt over the plat, and over this
framework, was spread single thick
ness of muslin which was left in place
during the Not season of July and Au-
gust, and wasNgemoved only to work
the plants
The ammoniacal earbonate OF cop
per used in No. was pade by placing
one ounce of copper caryYnate in just
enough ammonia water t6edissolve it
and then diluting to nine gallons With
ordinary well water. The amoApt Of
ammonia water required per ounts %
copper carbonate, was about one han
pint which was diluted to two quarts
before the copper carbonate was placed
In it. In plat No. 3, the Bordeaux mix
ture used was the ordinary strength
and prepared from stock solutions.
These solutions were applied with the
| aid Of knapsack sprayer.
The treatment of the celery was not
begun until the rust had made its ap-
pearance, hence the leaves that had
been attacked died in spite of the
treatment, as was expected, showing
that the measures used must be pre-
ventive and not curative, and should
therefore be begun before the plants
are attacked Some of the leaves that
were not diseased before shading, be-
came affected after the shading was
done, but the plants were in much
better condition than those in plat 4,
which received no treatment. The am
moniacal carbonate of copper and the
Bordeaux mixture both kept the
healthy leaves free from the attacks
of fungus, but the plants sprayed with
the ammoniacal carbonate seemed to
make a better growth than those
sprayed with Bordeaux mixture
Whether the growth was retarded by
the Bordeaux mixture or fastened by
the Ammonia solution it was impos-
sible to determine. All the plants
sprayed lived, while of those not treat
ed about one half died, and the remain
Ing half were smaller than the treated
plants owing to the constant attack
Of the fungus and the consequent loss
Of leaves. The conclusion is therefore
that the rust may be satisfactorily
controlled by spraying; that ammo
niacal carbonate promises better re-
suits than Bordeaux mixture, and that
shading, as used in these tests, is only
partially successful in preventing eel
cry rust