Show I I r CONTROL N Ol WATERMELON DISEASE ISE SE BY y SPRAY d 1 R itA r Y F 1 r. r 1 k S. S 44 Splendid Crop of Watermelons From the United States Department of at Agriculture Watermelon growers gro in various sections sections sections sec sec- of the country frequently suffer loss oss from a disease which blights th the tollage foliage and spots the fruit The leaves eaves are covered with irregular dark dead spots and may die before the melons are ripe The trouble develops on the fruit in the form of water- water soaked and lat later r sunken spots of varying varying vary- vary ing ng sizes which come to have U a a pink center made up of masses of the fungous fungous fungous fun fun- gous spores As the disease progresses the he melons decay This Is and is caused by a n parasitic fungus related related re- re to those which produce the apple rot bitter and pod spot pod spot of ot b bean an The fungus causing watermelon nose attacks cucumbers cantaloupes and squashes but probably not as a arule arule arule rule any other cultivated crops Warm and moist or rainy weather is especially especial- especial ly y favorable to the spread and development development development develop develop- ment of ot and for this reason reason reason rea rea- son it was more prevalent than usual last ast season The losses were particularly particularly arly severe In some districts where melons are grown on a large scale for carload shipments Spray With Bordeaux Mixture The department of ot agriculture has bas found that the disease can bo be controlled con con- trolled rolled by spraying with bordeaux mixture mixture mix- mix ture ure and trials of ot this treatment are recommended Tl e methods to be employed employed employed em em- are substantially those in use for or potatoes cucumbers and and other truck crops The following points should be observed to insure success Use fresh made home bordeaux mix mix- ture ure In preparing it follow directions exactly as much depends on the way the he ingredients are combined Use a good spray pump operated at a pressure pressure pres pres- sure Bure of ot pounds or more Spray thoroughly The time of ot application depends on the weather and the development development development devel devel- of ot the crop The disease ase usually usual- usual ly y appears when the fruit is nearly grown Watch Vatch carefully for tor the tho leaf leaf- Fine Specimens spot and spray pray as soon as any appears In En n any case make an application two weeks before maturity and a a. second a a. week l later tel Homemade Bordeaux Mixture Mixtures Ingredients Copper sulphate 4 pounds quicklime 4 pounds water to tomake tomake tomake make 50 gallons Prepare the copper sulphate by suspending suspending suspending sus sus- pending it in a gunnysack just below the surface of several gallons of water wate In a clean barrel When the sulphate I Is Is s dissolved which requires three or i four Cour hours rem remove vo the sack and stir Into the barrel enough additional water water wa wa- wa ter to make exactly 25 ot tho the copper solution Prepare the tho lime by slaking it slow slow- ly Iy y and thoroughly In a clean barrel strain and add enough w water ter to make exactly 25 gallons of lime milk Stir thoroughly Pour the two ingredients together into another barrel or better directly Into the tho spray tank if It it will wUl hold hold 50 gallons It Is highly important to stir the tho mixture very thoroughly and to strain both Ingredients before beCore they ar are combined as otherwise clogging of ot tho spray nozzles might result Use a copper cOpl copper cop cOp- l per r or bronze wire wiro strainer of ot 18 meshes to the Inch Do not put nut copper copper copper cop cop- per sulphate or Bordeaux mixture re Into tin or Iron vessels use wood or copper copper cop cop- per containers Mix the Bordeaux as needed need d. d and apply at once It Is never so good after it has settled Stock Sol Solutions Everyone who uses bordeaux mixcure mixture mix mix- cure ture frequently and in quantity will find it convenient to keep concentrated concentrated concentrated concen concen- stock solutions on hand as these keep Indefinitely If the tho water which Willett evaporates eva is replaced Build an nn elevated platform to hold the barrels Suspend 50 rounds zounds of copper copper cop cop- per sul sul- f o 0 dissolve in ill a n. gallon 50 barrel of water Slake 50 pounds of ot lime ime in another barrel Add water to tomake tomake tomake make 50 gallons of f lime milk When bordeaux mixture is needed stir sUr both stock barrels and take from each as many gallons as the formula calls forin for forIn forn In n pounds Dilute the copper sulphate In n one barrel and the lime milk in another another an an- other each with half haIt the water and let the two run together Into info the strainer of ot the spray tank To those who expect to spray on a large larg scale a more detailed instruction about fungicides and their application than can be given here is available in Farmers' Farmers Bulletin No m |