GARDENER. _Diseases of the Cultivated Chrysanthemum._--At the present time three diseases are recorded for this country, viz., sclerotium disease (_Sclerotinia sclerotiorum_, Massee); corticium disease (_Peniophora chrysanthemi_, C. B. Plowright), and the only too familiar Rust (_Puccinia hieracii_, Mart). The sclerotium, which first appears as a white mould on the stem just above the ground, forms black lumps within the stem. The stem becomes very brittle and falls. From the black nodules in the following spring, small funnel-shaped brownish fungi with long, weak, dark stems appear. The spores from these settle upon dead organic matter, forming an abundant mycelium which ultimately attacks the base of the stems of chrysanthemums. It is said that fresh stable manure favours the spread of the disease. Diseased stems should be carefully collected and burnt. The corticium disease also appears on the lower part of the stem, forming a white growth in autumn; Dr. Plowright, who first discovered it, says it resembles a splash of whitewash. It is not confined to the stems but extends into the adjacent soil. Diseased plants are shorter in height and thinner in the stem than healthy; they always die within the year. This disease has hitherto been observed only at King’s Lynn in Norfolk, but it is very possible it occurs in other parts of the country. Dr. Plowright remarks that the only treatment is burning the diseased plant. It is useless to separate the apparently healthy shoots. The well-known chrysanthemum rust first appeared in 1897, and spread with great rapidity in the very dry summer of 1898. The snuff-coloured uredo spores (summer form) are familiar to all cultivators of chrysanthemums. This fungus occurs on many wild plants of the order _Compositæ_, notably the hawk-weeds (_Hieracium_). All diseased plants should be burnt. The disease may be prevented by spraying the new leaves with potassium sulphide solution. It is to be hoped that the chrysanthemum leaf blight (_Cylindrosporium chrysanthemi_), which has caused so much damage to cultivated plants in Ontario, Canada, will not find its way into this country. It forms large dark patches on the leaves, which turn yellow and hang down; the flower buds do not expand. It is stated that fungicides are useless. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Haslemere Museum Gazette, Vol. 1, No. 2, June 1906, by Various