Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-08-02
PREVENT POTATO BLIGHT
Fungous Disease Threatens Crop, Spray
| with Bordeaux Mixture.

with Bordeaux Mixture,
Potato late blight. fungous disease,
capable of causing enormous destruction
has appeared in several states from Maine
to New Jersey and West Virginia ac-
cording to the United States Department
of Agriculture. The blight occurred early
this year and reports show that it is more
prevalent than usual While in some fields
the blight is already beyond control,
prompt spraying with Bordeaux mixture
will. In most cases, still be effective, the
specialists advise. 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. II uncontrolled. is capable
OF reducing the national crop at the rate
of 100000 bushels per day
Potatoes in the northern States are Just
beginning to form tubers. To produce
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 and
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 blights 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 pro-
gress 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 Is years. Every grower from Maine
to Michigan and south to Virginia Is
urged to spray at once and repeatly.
HOW TO MAKE BORDEAUX
MIXTURE.
Homemade Bordeaux mixture is best
Use Bluestone "copper" sulphate), 4
pounds; Quicklime, 4 pounds; Water, so
gallons.
Prepare the copper sulphate by sus-
pending 1t In gunny sack just below
the surface Of several gallons of water in
clean barrel. When the sulphate is dis
solved. which requires three or four hours
remove the sack and stir into the barrel
enough additional water to make exactly
Is gallons Of the copper solution.
Prepare the lime by shaking 1t slowly
and thoroughly In a clean barrel, strain,
and add enough additional 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 hold 50 gallons. 1t
is highly important to stir the mixture
very thoroughly and to strain both in
gradients before they are combined. as
otherwise cloggng of the spray nozzles
might result. Use copper or bronze wire
strainer Of eighteen meshes to the inch.
Do not put copper sulphate or Bordeaux
| mixture into tin or iron vessels; use
wood or copper containers. Mix the Bor-
deaux as needed and apply at once. It
Is never SO good after 1t has settled
Where poisons such as arsenate of
| lead are to be combined with Bordeaux
mixture. add the poison after the two
| solutions are mixed. Then stir well.
STOCK BORDEAUX SOLUTIONS.
Those who use Bordeaux mixture
frequently and in quantity will find 1t
convenient to keep concentrated stock
solutions on hand. as these keep indie
| hnitely II the water which evaporates
Is replaced.
Build an elevated platform to hold
the barrels. The night before the
day you wish to commence spraying,
suspend nifty pounds Of copper sulphate
to dissolve in fifty-gallon barrel of
water Stake nifty pounds OF lime in
another barrel. Add water to make
nifty gallons OF lime milk. When Bor-
deaux mixture Is needed. stir both stock
barrels we'll and take four gallons from
each stock barrel. Dilute the copper
sulphate In one barrel by adding enough
water to make Is gallons. Dilute the
lime milk In another barrel by adding
enough water to make 25 gallons. Stir
each thoroughly. Combine the two as
In previous directions. Thorough agi-
tation Is essential In making good Bor-
deaux mixture.