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Show DISEASES OF CTJCUMBERS Jteply to C. V, Fox "I havo trouble with my cucumbers dying too early. They get some kind of yellow spots in the leaves and the vines die before they get done bo&rlntf. 1 havo been using Hordeaux mixture. I used bluo stono. Is this the same as copper sulphato? When should lime be added to the soil?" Tho disease attacking our correspondent's corre-spondent's cucumber vines Is known as "downy mildew," a parasitic fungus. Bordeaux mixture Is the best remedy you can use; but this will havo no effect If the fungus has gained considerable con-siderable headway. Bordeaux mixture should be made as follows: For young plants 3 lbs. copper sulphate, sul-phate, 0 lbs. lime to GO gallons of water. When the plants get older, use 4 lbs. copper sulphate, 0 lbs. lime to 50 gallons gal-lons of water. Blue stone Is the commercial name for copper sulphate. The beneficial element In lime Is calcium, and It should be applied on soils that are acid In nature. On soils that are not In this condition, lime will be of little or no benefit. The acidity of the soil may be determined by the use of litmus paper, which may be obtained at almost any drug store. Press tho moist soil around the blue litmus paper for ten or fifteen minute. If the paper is now red or pink In color it will indicate that your soil Is acid. There are eight or ten different kinds of commercial lime, but where It Is possible to obtain finely ground limestone, lime-stone, this Is the most desirable form to UBe. It supplies the necessary calcium, cal-cium, and yet the action on the vegetable vege-table matter Is not as severe as It Is with other forniB of lime. We regret to say that the Service Bureau does not have Farmers' Bulletins Bulle-tins for general distribution, but you will be able to obtain these by writing the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Division of Publications, Washington, D.O. If we can be of further service at any time, we will be pleased to hear trojn you. |