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Show CONTROL WATERMELON DISEASE BY SPRa7 Splendid Crop of Watermelons. barrel of water. Slake 50 pounds of lime in another barrel. Add water to make 50 gallons of lime milk. When bordeaux mixture is neaded stir both stock barrels and take from each as many gallons as the formula calls for in pounds. Dilute the copper sulphate in one barrel and the lime milk in another, an-other, each with halt the water, and let the two run together into the strainer of the spray tank. To those who expect to spray on a large scale a more detailed instruction about fungicides and their application than can be given here is available in Farmers' Bulletin No. 243. (From the United States Department of Agriculture.) Watermelon growers in various sections sec-tions of the country frequently suffer loss from a disease which blights the foliage and spots the fruit. The leaves 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-soaked water-soaked and later sunken spots of varying vary-ing sizes, which come to have a pink center made up of masses of the fungous fun-gous spores. As the disease progresses the melons decay. This is anthracnose and is caused by a parasitic fungus related re-lated to those which produce the apple bitter-rot and pod-spot of bean. The fungus causing watermelon anthracnose anthrac-nose attacks cucumbers, cantaloupes and squashes, but probably not as a rule any other cultivated crops. Warm and moist or rainy weather is especially especial-ly favorable to the spread and development develop-ment of anthracnose, and for this reason rea-son it was more prevalent than usual last season. The losses were particularly particu-larly severe in some districts where melons are grown on a large scale for carload shipments. Spray With Bordeaux Mixture. The department of agriculture has found that the diseaso can be controlled con-trolled by spraying with bordeaux mixture, mix-ture, and trials of this treatment are recommended. The methods to be employed em-ployed are substantially those in use for potatoes, cucumbers and other truck crops. The following' points, should be observed to insure success: Use fresh home-made bordeaux mixture. mix-ture. In preparing it follow directions exactly, as much depends on the way the ingredients are combined. Use a good spray pump, operated at a pressure pres-sure of 100 pounds or more. Spray thoroughly. The time of application depends on the weather and the development devel-opment of the crop. The disease usually usual-ly appears when the fruit is nearly grown. Watch carefully for the leaf- Fine Specimens. Bpot and spray as soon as any appears. In any case, make an application two weeks before maturity and a second a week later. Homemade Bordeaux Mixture. Ingredients: Copper sulphate, 4 pounds; quicklime, 4 pounds; water to make 50 gallons. Prepare the copper sulphate by suspending sus-pending it in a gunnysack just below the surface of several gallons of water in a clean barrel. When the sulphate Is dissolved, which requires three or four hours, remove the sack and stir into the barrel enough additional water wa-ter to make exactly 25 gallons of the copper solution. Prepare the lime by slaking it slowly slow-ly and thoroughly in a clean barrel, strain and add enough water to make exactly 25 gallons of lime milk. Stir thoroughly. Pour the two ingredients together into another barrel, or better, directly into the spray tank, if it will hold 50 gallons. It is highly important to stir the mixture very thoroughly and to strain both ingredients before they are combined, as otherwise clogging of the spray nozzles might result. Use a copper cop-per or bronze wire strainer of 18 meshes to the inch. Do not put copper cop-per sulphate or Bordeaux mixture into tin or iron vessels; use wood or copper cop-per containers. Mix the Bordeaux as needed and apply at once. It is never so good after it has settled. Stock Solutions. Everyone who uses bordeaux mixture mix-ture frequently and in quantity will find It convenient to keep concentrated concen-trated stock solutions on hand, as these keep indefinitely if the water which evaporates is replaced. Build an elevated platform to hold the barrels. Suspend 60 pounds of copper cop-per 8ul- " 'o dissolve in a 50-gallon |