The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-06-01
HOW AND WHEN TO SPRAY.

For Destroying Fungi-Biting and Chew
ing Insects.
A careless use of strong spraying
mixtures is frequently as harmful as
the insects and fungi whose destruction
is sought; hence the need of caution in
preparing and applying. Following are
some timely directions from The Farm
Journal ON this all important subject:
Before the buds open solution of
copper sulphate freely applied to trees
and vines destroys many of the spores
(seeds) of fungi that winter on the
wood. thus rendering The fruit and leaves
less liable to attack. For trees and grape
vines, dissolve pound of the copper
sulphate (blue vitriol) in 10 gallons of
water. For peach and nectarine trees,
use % gallons of water.
The principal preparation for destroy
ing fungi is the bordeaux mixture. The
active agent in this is the salt of copper
it contains. If used too strong or made
so that the proper chemical combination
does not take place, the foliage is
Drowned or the young fruit is injured.
The plain copper sulphate solution will
kill fungi, but will also kill all tender
leaf and fruit growth as we'll. It must,
therefore, be much diluted and changed
in composition. To do this lime and
more water are added.
To prepare the bordeaux mixture
right, use pounds copper sulphate, A
pounds of lime and 40 gallons of water.
Fix in memory the figures $40, and
you have it. In making. always use
wooden vessels. Into one put A gallons
of water and suspend in it, in coarse
bag, near the surface, pounds of cop
per sulphate. Into the other put the 4
pounds Of lime (newly burned, not air
slaked) and Stake it by pouring In a
little water. Keep it stirred about in
the water, and when it warns up and
begins to crumble, pour in more water
and stir briskly and do not allow it to
dry slake, or its usefulnss will be de-
stroyed. When slaked, add enough wa
ter to make gallons in all. Careful
experiments show that the best way to
get these two ingredients together, so
that perfect chemical union will take
place, is to pour them in two streams
together into barrel, stirring briskly
all the while Continue to stir until the
mixture shows uniform dark blue
color. Before applying add 80 gallons
of water 1t may be left in its strong
state and diluted as needed, adding
four parts of water to one part of the
mixture.
The bordeaux is effective against
nearly all plant diseases of fungous
nature But it must be remembered
that fungi quickly enter the tissues and
spread inside the plant A fungicide
cannot do this It is effective only on
the surface and for this reason must be
on the leaf or fruit about as soon as the
spores of the fungi, or even before. 1t
is, in fact, chiefly useful as preventive
of disease. AS foliage develops rapidly
in the spring, the new growth must be
coated with the protective mixture
After heavy rains the spraying must be
repeated.
In spraying for biting and chewing
insects, as we'll as for fungi, it is good
plan to add A ounces of paris green to
40 or 80 gallons of bordeaux When the
bordeaux is not used, ounces Of the
poison should be diluted with 60 or 10
gallons of water. In applying the weak
est solution to peaches or neotarines a
quart of thick milk of lime (lime wash
should be added.