SUCCESSFUL POTATO CULTURE. IOO, 



WHAT IS BORDEAUX MIXTURE? 



Bordeaux mixture is the proper mingling of two mineral sub- 

 stances, viz., copper sulphate or blue vitriol and common lime. 

 As my subject is potato culture, I will give the method used by 

 me in preparing the mixture for potatoes. It should be borne 

 in mind that for plants of tender foliage mixture of this strength 

 must not be used. I find that it is a great saving of time to make 

 what is known as stock mixtures, as these will keep indefinitely, 

 or until mixed together. Get two strong barrels, holding fifty 

 gallons each. Oil barrels are the best, as they will not dry out 

 as quickly when exposed to sun and wind. Dissolve in one of 

 them fifty pounds of copper sulphate ; this will give one pound of 

 sulphate to each gallon of water. Pour into the other barrel 

 about three pails of water and then turn in fifty pounds of good, 

 unslacked lime, having at hand a stout paddle for stirring. 

 Watch carefully when this begins to boil and stir constantly, 

 adding more water as it slacks to keep it from burning, the object 

 being to cook the lime without burning. When this is properly 

 slacked the barrel will be about half full of the lime which will 

 be about the consistency of mush. If not desired for immediate 

 use it is well to let it rernain in this state for a few hours before 

 filling the barrel with water, as cooking dissolves the lime better, 

 there being less coarse material to strain out. Before using, fill 

 the barrel with water and stir. This gives you one pound of 

 lime to each gallon of water. This mixture, as well as the cop- 

 per sulphate solution, will keep indefinitely. 



If your sprayer holds fifty gallons, when it is desired to spray 

 pour five gallons of the copper sulphate solution into your 

 sprayer, add clear water enough to fill about half full, and then 

 add fifteen or more pounds of Bug Death (this should be mixed 

 in water enough to run easily in a pail, and then turned into the 

 sprayer before the lime solution is put in) ; now put in five gallons 

 of the lime solution, stir thoroughly and fill the barrel up with 

 water. Mixed in this way the copper solution will not curdle the 

 lime and clog the strainer over the feed pipe. You now have a 

 mixture that is not only the most deadly to bugs but the best 

 fungicide known. There are two ways of dissolving the copper 

 sulphate. One is to put it in a coarse bag and hang in the barrel 

 of water, near the top, but with fifty pounds of vitriol this is 



