Su77ir)ier Meeting. 69 



burn in the slaking, for if it does, it is useless for your purpose — 

 it will not blend with the vitriol water and it will not make a per- 

 fect mixture. Such imperfect mixtures, besides being no protec- 

 tion against rot, are liable to scorch the foliage and injure the fruit 

 of the vines to which it is applied. We prefer in early spring to 

 slake all the lime we need for some time — say at least a barrel at a 

 time. We keep this slaked lime in a pit or in lime or sugar barrels 

 sunk in the earth, covering the lime with a little water to keep from 

 drying. These ingredients, vitriol water and putty lime, as we 

 call it, you can prepare as suits your convenience, but they should 

 never be mixed — that is, the Bordeaux mixture should never be 

 made until you are ready to use it, and then use it the same day as 

 made. Also, be very careful never to use the fresh slaked lime, 

 tvhile hot, in making the mixture. 



When ready to make your mixture, ascertain the capacity in 

 gallons of the vat, barrel or vessel in which you are to make your 

 mixture, and for every fifty gallons of capacity take twelve pounds 

 of this slaked or "putty" lime and put it in your mixing vat or 

 barrel. Then add a little water and work thoroughly with a hoe 

 to dissolve the lime, and, as it dissolves, keep adding water until 

 your vat or barrel contains nearly one-half the quantity of mixture 

 you want to make. If your lime be gritty and there is much de- 

 posit after dissolving this lime, water should be strained through a 

 fine sieve before adding the vitriol water. With the lime we use, 

 we very seldom find it necessary to strain the lime water. Have 

 in another vat or barrels, standing alongside of your mixing vat, 

 the proper amount of blue vitriol dissolved and diluted to nearly 

 one-half of the amount of mixture you want to make, and, when 

 your lime water is all ready, pour this vitriol water into your mix- 

 ing vat containing the lime water as quickly as possible, stirring 

 the mixture thoroughly the while with a hoe. Made in this way, 

 your mixture will be perfect, and you can apply it without any 

 doubt of success, if applied at the right time and in the proper way. 



WHEN TO SPRAY. 



If the vineyard has been sprayed before, and especially if the 

 grapes have been rotting badly in previous years, I would recom- 

 mend that the vineyard, as soon as pruned in the spring, the brush 

 and leaves dragged out and burnt and the canes tied up, be thor- 

 oughly sprayed with a solution of sulphate of copper, four pounds of 

 copper to fifty gallons of water, and no lime. Spray thoroughly 



