In Circular No. 28 results with formalin for soil steriliz- 

 ingweregiven anditwas suggested that hot water sterilizing 

 might prove a better method than that of sterilizing with 

 formalin. Experimente made by Professor Baker seem to 

 conflrm this suggestion. See Bulletin No, 10 of this station, 

 page 11 (Spanish edition, page 15). 



Sterilizing with hot water or formalin isa very great 

 help in reducing the amoiint of the pudrición fungue in tlie 

 soil,and will probably pay wellfor all carefully made seedbeds, 

 especially the early ones. Iñthesystem of sowing the seed 

 very thickly and transplanting to other beds, suggested by 

 Professor Baker, the soil always should be thoroughly ster- 

 ilized befo re sowing the seed. 



Sterilizing by burning wood onthe surface of the soil luis 

 not been successfuld here on seedbeds wMich liad been deeply 

 worked a short time before planting. 



All preventive measures for damping óñ must be more or 

 less ineffective because partióles of partly decayed sticks or 

 other vegetable matter containing the fungas which causses 

 the damping off may be blown onto the beds, or insects may 

 earry the fungus to the bed on their feet. If conditions are 

 favorable to the fungus, that is if there is much humidity in 

 the atmosphere through the day, even the most perfectly 

 sterilized seedbeds may be lost. The difference betwen a steri- 

 lized and an unsterilized bed under these conditions is that 

 the whole surface ofthe unsterilized bed is hable tobe infected 

 at once and lost, while inthe sterilized bed a few spots appear. 

 These, if not treated, may spread and destroy the bed, but 

 if Bordeaux mixture isproperly appliedthey will not enlarge 

 and only a comparatively few plants will be lost. 



Hot water sterilizing consits in thoroughly soaking the 

 beds with boiling hot water after they are prepared for 

 sowing. See Bulletin No. 10, before referred to. 



Soil sterilizing with formalin is carried out as follows:— 

 The seedbed is prepared ready for sowing. For each 48 

 squ are feet of seedbed take 50 gallons (1 barrel) of water 

 and add 2 lbs. (approximately 1 liter) of strong formalin 

 solution (this should be 40% but in Cuba it will usually be 



