532 Circular No. 5. 



terials in the right proportions are mixed together in spare times. These 

 mixtures depend upon the grades of the original materials. A typical 

 mixture used last year by some of the farmers is as follows : — 



250 lbs. Nitrate of Soda 

 725 " Tankage 

 800 " Acid Phosphate 

 224 " Muriate of Potash 



1999 lbs. of a 5-^0-5 fertilizer. 



This cost last year, it was state, $27.01. The cost of mixing, which 

 was dene on the barn floor with shovels and rakes, was 25 tO' 50 cents per 

 ton, depending upon the cost of labor and the rapidity with which it 

 could be done. The result was a fertilizer of equal or superior grade to 

 those offered by the fertilizer concerns or the town clubs, and it had been 

 . secured at a more reasonable cost. The home mixing of fertilizers is 

 practicable, and would be of financial advantage to many farmers who 

 do not now practice it. 



INSECT PESTS AND PLANT-DISEASES 



Spraying of potatoes. The spraying of potatoes with Bordeaux 

 mixture pays. Experiments conducted by the Geneva (New York) 

 Station for seven years at Riverhead shows gains of sprayed areas over 

 unsprayed areas as follows (New York Experiment Station Bulletin 



311): 



1902 sprayed three times, a gain of 27 2-3 bus. per acre 



45 

 " •' 39 1-2 " " " 



<( (< a _/:• u (I It 



u u ^^gj_2 - « " 



" " 96 1-3 " " " 



a u ^^ j_^ u .: » 



" 21 1-2 " 



t< t< "tOT/l '' " " 



<< (( it o >< a <( 



u .. ^j j_^ « .< .. 



- " 103-4 " " " 



'• " 15 1-3 " " " 



The statements of the Station show that potatoes were attacked by early 

 and late blight, rot and flea beetles. It is stated that Bordeaux mixture 

 acts as a deterrent upon the flea beetles ; it does not kill them, but makes 



