POTATOES 117 



and so adjusted as to direct the spray, from below, upwards, 

 so that both the lower and upper surfaces of the foliage may 

 become coated with it. Spraying should be carried out if 

 possible during dry weather, preferably in the early morning, 

 and not in the glare and heat of the mid-day sun. When 

 once the mixture has dried on the foliage it adheres well. 

 Should heavy rain fall before this occurs, most of it will be 

 washed off and it will be necessary to spray again. 



" One application only will seldom be a sufficient protec- 

 tion for the crop for a whole season, and two or three spray- 

 ings at suitable intervals may be necessary. The best 

 results are obtained when the spray is applied immediately 

 before a period of wet weather. 



4 ' It is important that the first application should be made 

 before the appearance of the blight. The actual date will 

 vary somewhat for different parts of the country and will 

 also depend to some extent upon the weather conditions. 

 In early districts it will be advisable as a rule to spray for 

 the first time in the first or second week of June, while in 

 other districts spraying may not be necessary until two or 

 three weeks later. The second application should be made 

 two or three weeks after the first ; this will protect the new 

 foliage which has been produced in the interval. In wet 

 seasons or wet localities a third spraying will be necessary 

 about three weeks after the second. 



" For the first application the mixture shoiild be applied 

 at the rate of 100 gallons per statute acre ; for the second and 

 third sprayings, 120 gallons per acre must be used." 



Other points to remember when spraying are : 



(1) The operator should stand so that the wind does 



not blow the spray on to him. 



(2) The work should not be done with cut or scratched 



hands. 



(3) Spraying must be performed with the utmost care 



