II. SPRAYING POTATOES ON LONG ISLAND 



IN THE SEASON OF 1896.* 



F. C. STEWART. 



SUMMARY. • 



(1) Potatoes on Long Island in 1896 were unusually free from 

 disease. In spite of this fact, spraying five times with Bordeaux 

 mixture increased the yield on A^'ictor Rose 4f bushels, on White 

 Elephant 60^ bushels, on Green Mountain 62 bushels, on Defender 

 16 bushels, and on Late Blush 28 bushels per acre. 



(2) The total expense of spraying 8.58 acres of potatoes five 

 times, including all labor and cost of chemicals and an allowance 

 for the wear of machinery, was |34.25, or |4 per acre. 



(3) The expense of applying Paris green twice to 1.09 acres of 

 potatoes, by means of the Leggett powder-gun, was |1.65, or $1.51 

 per acre. 



(4) Comparing the value of the increase in yield due to spray- 

 ing, with the outlay required to produce that increase, it was 

 found that spraying had been profitable on all varieties except 

 Victor Rose. On the variety Green Mountain there was a net 

 profit of |13 per acre, allowing potatoes to be worth 25 cents per 

 bushel. Spraying, being profitable in such a season as 1896, must 

 be piofitable in almost any season on Long Island. 



(5) Fungiroid, applied dry, was found to be so much inferior to 

 the wet Bordeaux mixture that its use as a substitute for Bor- 

 deaux mixture is not to be recommended. 



(6) The " Lion Brand " Bordeaux mixture, likewise, proved to 

 be of practically no value. 



(7) Bordeaux mixture (l-to-7 formula) used without any Paris 

 green, gave considerable protection against insects but not enough 

 to warrant the recommendation of its use. Paris green should 

 always be added to the Bordeaux mixture whenever either flea- 

 beetles or Colorado potato-beetles are numerous. 



•Reprint of Bulletin No. 123. 



