The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1917-08-02
SPRAY POTATOES
TO Prevent Late Blight - Unsprayed
Crop Threatened Unless Highly
Destructive FungOus Disease
Is Controlled by Use Of
Bordeaux Mixture.

Washington, D. c., August 2-Po-
tato late blight, fungous disease, ca
pabale of causing enormous destruc-
ton, has appeared in several States
from Maine to New Jersey and West
Virginia, according to the United
States Department of Agriculture.
The blight occurred ealy this year
and reports show that 1t is more
prevalent than usual. While In some
fields the blight is already beyond
control, prompt spraying with Bor-
deaux mixture will, In most cases,
still be effective, the specialists ad-
wise. Unless potato growers spray
thoroughly with Bordeaux mixture,
they fear that the large potato crop
that has been promised will not be
realized, as late blight, If uncontroll-
ed, is capable of reducing the nation
al crop at the rate of 100000 BUSH
els per day.
Potatoes in the northern States are
just beginning to form tubers. To
produce a large crop the tops must
be kept healthy till frost, as the
tubers increase in size most rapidly
during the last weeks of the season.
The late blight kills the tops ans
causes the tubers to rot In the
ground. The blight starts in few
centers in the field where. diseased
potatoes were planted. Brown spots
develop on the leaves and a whitish
mildew appears on their under side.
Frequent rains and warm, muggy
weather furnish ideal conditions for
the development of the blight under
which the foliage bfghts rapidly, the
leaves hang blackened and dead and
the tubers begin to rot. Dry and hot
weather on the other hand tends to
check the progress Of the blight but
growers should spray Immediately
and not trust their crops entirely to
Improvement in weather conditions.
AS an effective preventive Of late
blight Bordeaux mixture has proved
its value for rs years. Every grower
from Maine to Michigan and south tc
Virginia is urged to spray at once
and repeatedly.
How To Make Bordeaux Mixture
Homemade Bordeaux mixture Is
best. Use
Bluestone "copper" sulphate). A lbs
Quicklime ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS lbs
wafer .................. .0O SalS
Prepare the copper sulphate Dy
suspending 1t in gunny sack just
below the surface of several gallons
of water in clean barrel. Wher
the sulphate is dissolved, which re.
quires three or four hours, remove
the sack and stir into the barre
enough additional water to make ex.
actly rs gallons of the copper solu.
ton.
Prepare the lime by shaking II
slowly and thoroughly in clean bar.
rel, strain, and add enough addition.
al water to make exactly rs gallons
OF lime milk. Stir thoroughly.
Pour the two ingredients together
into another barrel or better directly
into the spray tank, II 1t will hole
so gallons. 1t is highly important t.
stir the mixture very thoroughly ant
to strain both ingredients before the,
are combined, as otherwise clogginl
Of the spray nozzles might result
Use copper or bronze wire straine
Of eighteen meshes to the inch. d,
not put copper sulphate or Bordeau,
mixture into tin or iron vessels; us
wood or copper containers. Mix tn
Bordeaux as needed and apply a
once. 1t is never SO good after |
has settled.
Where poisons such as arsenate Q
lead TO be combined with Bordeau
mixture. add the poison after the tw
solutions are mixed. Then stir wei