DAMPING-OFF is a common and often serious injury to young plants under glass, either in houses or hot-beds. It appears to be a variable difficulty, and there are many opinions concerning it. In fact, all are not agreed as to the proper definition for damping-off. The following letters, from good observers, give some of the various observations and practices concerning it:

From. Thomas Meehan, Germantown, Pa

Damp-ing-off is a term usually restricted to cuttings or seedlings just potted. In all cases it is applied to the sudden rotting of the structure near the ground. I suppose no intelligent gardener ever questioned the statement that it is caused by a minute silk-like fungus, the scientific name of which is not material here, which destroys as it grows. The usual remedy with watchful propagators is to take out the cuttings as soon as the fungus growth is first detected, and change the soil or sand before resetting them. The fungus seldom appears in a new cut ting bench - possibly from the spores or mycelium not having found a home in it. We have been careful to have fresh clean sand, and clean benches, and hence have little trouble from fungus. Possibly sulphur - the good gardener's panacea against mildew - scattered over the surface, would be useful, or probably the new remedy, copperas water, which proves an admirable fungicide. No one plant is more liable to damp-off than another, so far as my experience goes.

From Professor W. F. Massey, Raleigh, N. C

Damping-off is the sudden collapse of the tissues of a seedling or cutting in contact with the soil or sand. The cause, so far as my present knowledge goes, is essentially the same in both the cases of seedlings and cuttings. My idea is that the watering of the soil or sand encourages a growth of minute algae on the surface which furnishes food for the rapid spread of the mycelium of minute fungoid parasites, which are destructive to all organized tissues in their path. The minute hyphae form a water-proof coating over the surface and the seedlings perish not only from the fungus but from drought and want of air. It troubles most in a close atmosphere with high temperature and strong bottom heat.

The best preventions are abundant ventilation and avoidance of a high temperature overhead in the propagating house. When seedlings or cuttings begin to damp-off the best remedy is to clean up and transfer the sound ones to fresh soil or sand. In a propagating house for cuttings, no wood should enter into the construction of the cutting bench. Make the bottom of slate and the sides of brick and cement. Seed pans of earthenware are better than wooden flats for sowing seeds. The whole subject needs careful study, and I hope ere long to be able to give more exact information.

From Professor S. T. Maynard, Amherst, Mass

Damping-off, as understood by the practical gardener, is that rapid decay of cuttings and tender or soft-tissued plants which takes place in a night or a few hours, and is accompanied by a Webby or downy fungus growth on the outside of the parts of the plants. As understood by the botanist, it is the rapid development of a para-sitic fungus growth which, under favorable conditions, quickly destroys the tissues of the host plant. The cause may be traced largely to the conditions of moisture and heat surrounding the plants, either under glass or in the field. A very moist, close atmosphere, with a too high temperature, is sure to bring on the damping. It is most troublesome in the cutting-bed, where a very moist condition must be maintained, but under the same conditions of moisture and heat, plants often damp-off when growing in pots or even in the open field. Cuttings of all kinds, coleus especially, after they have become chilled, and lettuce, are most often injured by damping off with us.

Preventive measures are by far the most important and satisfactory, (a.) Water the cuttings in the morning only. (b) Keep the temperature as low at night as is permissible for the kind of plants grown. (c.) If the bed or soil in pots become too wet, expose to the sun's rays in the latter part of the afternoon, (d.) The use of evaporated sulphur will large prevent the fungus growth, but not wholly if the temperature is allowed to run very high. This is used by melting or boiling sulphur in shallow kettles heated by a kerosene lamp or small stove, and should be used in the early part of the evening, for two or three hours, twice or three times per week.

From John Gardner, Jobstown, Pa

In my opinion, damping-off is a decay in plants caused by a fungus, superinduced by atmospheric conditions, as, for instance, a warm and moist atmosphere. Such an atmosphere, of 700, will cause damping-off in forced beans. In ' cuttings, damping-off is the decay of the lower end of the leaf-stalk. This is particularly marked in the case of cuttings of indoor grapes. If cuttings are made of wood from which the leaf-fall has not been natural, a portion of the leaf-stalk adheres to the cutting, and the moisture of the bed causes it to decay. If the house is moist and warm the infection soon spreads to all the cuttings.

In propagating beds I endeavor to have all soil free from decaying vegetable matter. I have known sandy soils taken from a sweet potato patch to rot all seeds and cuttings put into it. The particles of roots and tubers remaining in the soil were, in my opinion, the cause of the mischief. In such soils in a warm atmosphere, the damping-off fungi will appear in ten days.

I guard against damping-off by avoiding a high and moist atmosphere. If the trouble shows itself, I use flour of sulphur put on the soil dry, and then dry out my houses somewhat.

From Edwin Lonsdale, Philadelphia

Damping-off is the term used when seedlings and cuttings in a young state, rot off. The cause, sometimes, may be from excessive moisture, and, more frequently than the casual observer is aware, is caused through insufficient moisture. If either cuttings or seedlings become really dry, so that the soil or sand in which they are growing exhibits the unmistakable signs of dryness, look out for damping-off, after the next watering; for unless very rare judgement is exercised in giving water, disastrous results will surely follow. The summer time is the worst season of the year for damping-off, in our operations here. Of course, that depends largely upon the class of plants in hand. But generally speaking, in the summer more watchfulness is necessary, on account of the excessive hot and dry weather which usually prevails at that season of the year. Take mignonette as an example. When in a seedling state this plant is more inclined to damp-off than anything that I can at this time call to mind. Yet I believe the trouble comes more from the lack of moisture than too much of it. As an illustration: when we grew mignonette, a few years ago, for winter flowering, we had to sow the seed in the hot and dry summer season. Owing to its prone-ness to damp-off, water was given with great caution.