L -°
5  
an unknown length of time. The use of resistant varieties would be an ideal I
control measure; however, to date, we know of no satisfactory shipping berry that
. is resistant to the trouble. The United States Department of Agriculture and
several state experiment stations are attempting to breed new varieties that are
resistant. The Temple and Fairland varieties seem fairly resistant to red stele
and are doing nicely in several infected areas in other states but little is known,
- to date, of their behavior in Kentucky. However, they both showed promise in
1948 and many more fruiting tests will be observed in 1949. Where tried, these
varieties seem to be satisfactory for local markets and processing but too soft
for a dependable shipping variety. Much testing of resistant seedlings and new
sorts is scheduled for Kentucky the coming season, as well as possibly some
breeding work.
The presence of this disease in a section (as it is known to be started
around Paducah, Louisville and northern Kentucky) makes it more important
than ever to use only inspected plants for setting. Several growers are known '
to have brought the disease onto their farms by digging plants from a neighbor‘s
infected field. It will take the cooperation of all growers in a section to keep this `
disease from seriously crippling the industry. This is especially true in sections
of western Kentucky and elsewhere where much of the soil devoted to strawberry
growing is rather tight and poorly drained. .
B_L_:AKEl\/IQRE YEL.L.OWS_
This is a disease condition that causes the foliage of the Blakemore variety
to be yellowish and mottled. The disease spreads only from mother plant to
daughter plant and does not spread to other varieties. Where yellows is
present, fewer runner plants are made and these produce less fruit than normal
green plants.
Qontng: When Blakemore plants are bought, insist on yellows-free plants. ·  
Wheniyellow plants are seen in the field they should be dug an-cT—c-g.sTi‘—o_yed to
prevent an increase. Thus, by carefully roguing, most Blakemore plantings can
be kept fairly clear of this trouble.
VIRUS DISEASES OR XANTI-{CRES-
1
· This disease is fairly new in Kentucky. Its symptoms are varied and
often obscure; hence, it is hard to combat. It is spread from plant to plant by
a white aphid. So far, this aphid has not been found or reported in Kentucky.
Plants with the disease have been located in Kentucky, but these had been
shipped into the state from one of the middle Atlantic states where the disease
is very prevalent in many nurseries. The runner plants from diseased plants
· are also diseased, and setting such plants is a sure way to get the disease _
started on your place.
Syiripjpmsz This disease shows up in different ways in different varieties.
Some diseased varieties have low foliage with small leaves or the leaves may
be cupped. Also, when infected, some varieties fail to produce any, or only a