Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1934-06-29
SPRAY NOTES

At this time of the year growers
must be prepared to combat all
kinds of insects and diseases affect
ing their truck crops. From the time
the seeds are put into the ground
until the crops are harvested, dis
eases and insects may appear that
must be fought. These troubles are
due to numerous causes, including
unfavorable soil or climatic cOndi-
tions, seed, plants, rotations, i'm
proper cultural methods and plant
ing.
Perhaps one of the worst things
that can happen to a grower of can
taloupes, cucumbers, melons, tOma-
toes, beans or other truck crops is
to spend their time and money IN
the production of the crop and then
to see it swept away almost over
night by a sudden outbreak of dis
ease or an invasion of some insect.
A grower must always be on his
guard and be prepared to tight at
the first sign of either an insect in
yasion or an outbreak of some dis
ease. Even before these occur he
should be prepared because Pre-
vention is better than cure This
can be done to some extent by the
use of disease free seed and plants,
seed treatment, a system of crop ro-
tations and clean farming.
Many truck crops are subject to
blights and willis. which at times
will spread through the fields like
wild fire, causing the plants to
wither and die One of the best pre-
ventatives of these diseases is the
proper use of sprays or dusts even
before one sees any sign of disease.
This should be done at intervals OF
ten days during the growing sea
son.
For spraying, a Bordeaux Mixture
4-4-5O is one commonly used Tor
disease prevention. If insects are
also present it is advisable to add
two to four pounds of calcium or |
lead arsenate, to the Bordeaux mix |
ture. In spraying it is just as i'm
portant to spray the under side of |
the leaf as it is the upper side. An
addition of ga pounds of fish oil
soap to the above mixture Will i
cause the Bordeaux to spread and
stick better to the smooth surface
of the leaves
If dusts are to he used il is best
TO buy a factory mixed dust but III
all cases purchase the best obtain
able. The best dusts usually con
tain about 1920 per cent of copper
hn nj
UNI arsenate and about SOC of by
drafted lime which acts as a carrier
These are usually sold as l5-l5-70
OF 20-20-60 dusts.
The County Agricultural Agent
finds that many growers who call on
him for assistance in combating :
various diseases and insects often
fail to look on the underside OF the
leaf. Many times the trouble will be
the presence of the tiny green aphis
or louise. This insect if left alone
will finally suck all the sap from
the plant and cause it to die. The
control for this insect is the use OF
a nicotine spray or dust. In spray
ing, the mixture consists of one pint
of 80 nicotine sulphate to 100 gal
Ions of water If a dust is used,
this is in the proportion of 7% lbs.
of nicotine sulphate to 100 lbs. of
hydrated lime.
The Mexican Bean Beetle, one of
the worst bean insects, may be con-
trolled by spray or dust.
AS a spray, the mixture consists
of ! ID. of magnesium arsenate to
so gallons of water. for large areas,
or ounce to gallons of water for
small areas This is used at the rate
of 100 gallons per acre. Another
spreay consists of l Id. calcium ar
senate, 2 lbs. hydrated lime and 50
gallons of water. For smaller areas
use one ounce of arsenate, two Oun-
ies of lime and three gallons of wa
er.
A good home mixed dust is made
by using one lb. of calcium arsen-
tie and Z lbs. of hydrated lime. This
s used at the rate of 20 lbs. per
Icre. However. the 15-15-7O or 90
1850 dusts are somewhat safer to
Use.