76 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



LATEST ADVICES ON THE BORDEAUX MIXTURE. 



The combination of bluestone and lime, known as the bor- 

 deaux mixture, is almost indispensable in fruit-growing and 

 gardening. It is almost a sovereign remedy against injurious 

 fungi, and its use is general throughout the world. The best 

 way to make the preparation is, consequently, a matter of 

 the greatest moment. The division of vegetable pathology 

 of the department of agriculture has just issued a bulletin on 

 these lines which is very timely. It is four years since there 

 was published, in Farmers' Bulletin No. 7, a summary of the 

 more important methods of combating some of the destruc- 

 tive diseases of fruit. During this time many improvements 

 have been made in the work, and for this and other reasons 

 it seems desirable to now bring together, in brief, practical 

 form, our present knowledge on the subject. The question 

 as to whether it will pay to spray has long since been answered 

 in the affirmative, so it is not necessary at this time to enter 

 upon any argument in regard to this phase of the subject. It 

 is, furthermore, not necessary to go into details as to the rela- 

 tion of spraying to hygiene ; suffice it to say, that if the work 

 is properly done no danger whatever to health need be appre- 

 hended. 



Superiority of the bordeaux mixture — During the past four 

 years numerous solutions, powders, etc., have been tested, 

 with a view of determining their value as economical, effect- 

 ive, and practical preventives of fungous parasites. While a 

 number of these preparations have given promise of value, 

 none have been found which fill so many requirements as bor- 

 deaux mixture and the ammoniacal solution of copper carbon- 

 ate. Of the two preparations, bordeaux mixture has long 

 been recognized as possessing the most valuable qualities, and 

 it is probably more generally used to-day than all other fungi- 

 cides combined. The chief points in its favor are, (1) its 

 thorough effectiveness as a fungicide ; (2) its cheapness ; (3) its 

 safety from a hygienic standpoint ; (4) its harmlessness to the 

 sprayed plant ; and (5) its beneficial effects on plants other 

 than those resulting from the mere prevention of the attack 

 of parasites. 



Bordeaux mixture formula — All things considered, it is be- 

 lieved that the best results will be obtained from the use of 

 what is known as the fifty-gallon formula of this preparation, 

 as follows : 



