The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-10
Fighting Tomato Blight

This disease of the tomato has become so prevalent in many sections of the south in the past four years as to not only render it unproftable. but al most impossible to successfully grow them on account of the blight
 There are various kinds of blight or dis eases affecting the tomato. which are ciassed as blight, and while it would be more desirable to apply or use certain material for specific variety of blight it is now possible to obtain a material which, if properly used, will greatly re- duce the losses from blight, and as a matter of fact, will in most cases prevent it's appearance altogether
 G. B. McVay, the well-known Second avenue seedman, has been working in conjunction with the government for a year or two on remedy with which to combat this spreading curse In speak ing of the preparation. MT. McVay said:
 After years of actual experiments I am able to offer a blight material that l believe meets the difficulty. This rem edy, which is called 'McVay's Tomato Blight Remedy, is a combination in dry powdered form of Bordeaux mixture ma terials combined with arsenate of lead Formerly Bordeaux mixture or Bordeaux material was about the only remedy that seemed to arrest the raVages of tomato blight, but l found that through the addi- tion of arsenate of lead and the copper byproducts that blight could be con- trolled, and at the same time it's appli- cation would prevent injury often result ing from the ravages of worms or in sects. This material of course is pois onous, on account of the arsenate of lead, and care must be exercised in handling 1t.
 The most satisfactory way of apply ing this blight material is to mix it with water in proportion of 1 pound of material to F to 15 gallons of water. Tender plants require the weaker mixture and the hardy ones the stronger mixture. This blight material is not soluble in water, but IL has been reduced to a very fine powder and is miscible with water. so it can be used in a spray but of course the mix ture should be agitated every few mo- ments during it's use, so that the ma terial is equally diffused throughout the water. The method of procedure with to- matoes is to first prepare your solution by placing the required quantity ot ma terial that you wish to prepare In dry vessel, such as tub or dtshpan' then add quickly about one-fourth of the amount of water that you intend to use in the quantity to be made up, then stir immediately and violently until thorough ly mixed with the water. After thlS IS done, the additional quantity of water should be added to produce the amount necessary. This mixture will keep in- definitely, but before putting in the spray for use it should be thoroughly agitated and strained through a cloth or very fine sieve that would remove any small particles of foreign matter or granules of the material itself. What material IS left after straining should be agitated with a part of the water originally used, until none remains on the strainer or m the vessel. This material is now ready for use.
 In setting out tomato plants, it is .desir- able to apply a liberal quantity Of thls mixture around the roots Of the plant This is easily accomplished by using the material instead of plain water in water ing the plants, and it is further recom- mended that the roots of the plants them selves be dipped in this material before inserting into the soil. The object of this treatment is to destroy any blight germs that might be present, not only on the roots of the plants to be set out, but on the soil adhering to them or the soil in which the plant is to rest. NOW after plants thus set out begin to put on new foliage, sprout small groWths above the joints or leaves of the plant one should then begin to spray the plants giving them a thorough wetting, and this spraying should be repeated once in ID days throughout the life of the plant When this is done the disease rarely at tacks the roots of such plants treated, so, one not only avoids the wilting or death of the plant, but the repeated ap- plication to the foliage keeps the plant in healthy condition, destroying or driv- ing away any worms or insects that might attack the plant, and also pre- vents the rotting of the fruit.
 "It must be understood that the entire plant should be sprayed, including the blooms, small fruit or even fruit in any stage of it's growth. There is but little or no danger on account of the mixture containing arsenic. for the reason that arsenic is insoluble in water or to such a limited extent as to cause no reason for alarm
 Mir. McVay offers free advice and lit era ature to those who call or address him at 2125 Second avenue.