18 Report oFiTHEiMTooLOGisx. 



of injury on sprayed plants was from sixty to seventy per cent, 

 as great as on unsprayed plants. Other experimenters report 

 different degrees of success, but it is quite generally agreed that 

 Bordeaux mixture is the best remedy now known for flea-beetles 

 on potatoes. 



Our own observations, made on extensive potato spraying ex- 

 periments during the past two years, convince us that the degree 

 of success attained is chiefly dependent upon the thoroughness 

 with which the spraying is done. Where the spraying was done 

 with a knapsack sprayer, and the plants kept well covered with 

 Bordeaux mixture throughout the season, there was practically 

 no injury from flea-beetles; while on plants which were sprayed 

 every two weeks with a horse machine having two nozzles per 

 row the injury was perhaps from flfty to seventy-five per cent, 

 as great as on unsprayed plants. The latter is the customary 

 method of spraying potatoes for blight, but it seems likely that 

 it will be more profitable to use three instead of two nozzles per 

 row for the last two applications. 



Flea-beetles are much complained of by those who grow seed- 

 ling egg plants, tomato plants, etc., for the market. They are 

 also exceedingly destructive to these plants for a short time 

 after they are transplanted. These crops being what we may 

 call concentrated crops, that is, the plants on a small area have 

 a considerable value, it is both practical and profitable to give 

 them almost perfect protection by spraying with Bordeaux mix- 

 ture. As soon as the first leaves appear spray thoroughly with 

 Bordeaux mixture (the 1 to 7^ formula with a little Paris green 

 added), and repeat the treatment at intervals of one week, or 

 oftener if the mixture is washed off by heavy rains. Continue 

 spraying until the plants are transplanted and growing vigor- 

 ously. After this it will be sufiQcient to spray once in ten days. 

 While the plants are young every leaf should be kept blue with 

 Bordeaux mixture, which, if properly prepared, will not injure 

 the plants in the least. 



All seedling plants may be protected in the same manner, but 

 it is difficult to make the Bordeaux mixture adhere to the foliage 

 of plants of the cabbage family — cabbage, cauliflower, etc. 



