INSECTS AND DISEASES 



85 



leaves clean and healthy. The time of the first 

 spraying will depend somewhat upon the charac- 

 ter of the season, but it should be made as soon as 

 the first indications of the disease show themselves. 

 Keep in mind the fact that it is easier to prevent a 

 fungous disease than to cure it. On a small scale 

 a hand spray pump may be used, but for a number 



Fig. 18. The rust may be held in check by spraying with the 

 bordeaux mixture. 



of acres, a barrel pump, mounted on wheels, or a 

 pump with a row attachment, such as is used for 

 spraying potatoes, will give good satisfaction. Fig. 

 18 shows a field that was sprayed with bordeaux 

 mixture. 



Fusarium Wilt (Neocosmospora vasinfecta, E. F. 

 Smith). — This disease is to the watermelon what 

 the bacterial wilt is to the muskmelon. Of recent 



