Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-01-22
WATERMELONS CAN
EASILY Be SAVED
Anthracnose, a Troublesome Disease,
is PreVentable by Spray
inq.

Watermelon growers in various sec
tons of the country frequently suf-
fer loss from a disease which blights
the foliage and spots the fruit The
leaves are covered with irregular
I dark, dead spots and may die before
the melons are ripe. The trouble de
velops on the fruit in the form of wa
ter-soaked and later sunken spots OF
varying size, which come to have a
pink center made up of masses of the
fungus spores. As the disease prog
resses the melons decay. This is an
thracnose, and is caused by parasitic
fungus related to those which produce
bean. The fungus causing watermel-
on antharcnose attacks cucumbers.
cantaloupes and squashes, but prob
ably not, as a rule. any other cultivat-
ed crops. Warm and moist or rainy
weather is especially favorable to the
spread and development of anthrac-
nose and for this reason it was more
prevalent than usual last season. The
losses were particularly severe in
some districts where melons are
grown on a large scale for carload
shipments.
Spray With Bordeaux Mixture.
The department of agriculture has
found that the disease can be control
led by spraying with Bordeaux mix.
ture, and trials of this treatment are
recommended The methods to be EN-
ployed are substantially those in use
for potatoes, cucumbers, and other
truck crops. The following points
should be observed to insure sue
cess:
Use fresh homemade Bordeaux
mixture. In preparing it follow di-
rections exactly, as much depends on
the way the ingredients are combin-
ed. Use a good spray pump, operat-
ed at a pressure of 100 pounds or
more. Spray thoroughly. The time
OF application depends on the wealth
er and the development of the crop.
The disease usually appears when the
fruit is nearly grown. Watch careful
ly for the leaf-spot and spray as soon
as any appears. In any case, make
an application two weeks before ma.
turity and a second a week later
How to Make Mixture.
Ingredients = Copper sulfate, 4
pounds. Quicklime, pounds, Water
to make so gallons.
Prepare the copper sulfate by sus.
pending it in gunny sack just be-
low the surface of several gallons of
water in a clean barrel. When the
sulfate is dissolved, which requires
three or four hours, remove the sack
and stir into the barrel enough addi-
tional water to make exactly % gal
Ions of the copper solution.
Prepare the lime by shaking it SLOW
ly and thoroughly in clean barrel
strain, and add enough additional wa
ter to make exactly 25 gallons of lime
milk. Stir thoroughly.
Pour the two ingredients together
into another barrel, or better directly
into the spray tank, if it will hold so
gallons. 1t is highly important to
stir the mixture very thoroughly and
to strain both ingredients before they
are combined, as otherwise clogging
of the spray MOBILES might result. Use
a copper or bronze wire strainer OF
Is meshes to the inch. Do not put
into tin or iron vessels; use wood OF
copper containers. Mix the Bordeaux
as needed and apply at once. 1t is
never so good after it has settled.
Stock Solutions.
Everyone who uses Bordeaux mix
ture frequently and in quantity will
find it convenient to keep concen
trated stock solutions on hand, as
these keep indefinitely if the water
which evaporates is replaced.
Build an elevated platform to hold
the barrels. Suspend so pounds Of
copper sulfate to dissolve in a 50-gal
Ion barrel of water. Stake so pounds
of lime in another barrel. Add water
to make so gallons of lime milk
When Bordeaux mixture is needed
tir both stock barrels and take from
each as many gallons as the formula
calls for in pounds. Dilute the cop
per sulfate in one barrel and the lime
milk in another, each with half tn,
water, and let the two run togethe
into the strainer of the spray tank.
/ To those who expect to spray on &
large scale more detailed instruc
ton about fungicides and their appli
cation than can be given here Ii
available in Farmers Bulletin No. 243