Family Cucurbitaceae 233 



Cucumbers grown for pickles, however, should not 

 be sprayed, as spraying reduces the number of fruit, 

 although it is so beneficial for fruit which are to be 

 left to grow to market size. 



For an area less than one acre, a small hand pump 

 sprayer, or preferably a good small compressed-air 

 sprayer will answer the purpose. For fields of one 

 to five acres a barrel sprayer is recommended. For 

 fields above five acres or more, a good power sprayer 

 must be able to apply at least one hundred gallons 

 per acre. To do thorough spraying, a slow walking 

 team should be chosen, but the pump should be geared 

 correspondingly high so as to maintain full pressure 

 at a low speed. 



The strength of Bordeaux recommended by Orton 

 as safe from burning is a 3-6-50 formula. From the 

 writer's experience, he would not advise using formu- 

 las stronger than this, especially under Southern 

 climatic conditions. The time to spray first is when 

 the vines begin to run. The number of succeeding 

 applications should be governed by climatic condi- 

 tions. In damp warm weather, spraying should be re- 

 peated every second or third week. The object is to 

 keep all growing parts of the plant thoroughly covered 

 with the fungicide. For further directions on spraying 

 and the preparations of the ingredients, see p. 361. 



In some seasons, the melon louse, Aphis gossypii, 



causes great damage to cantaloupes and cucumbers. 



The pest sucks the life of the plant by feeding on its 



juices. Durst 1 recommends spraying with " Black 



1 Durst, C. E., Illinois Agr. Expt. Sta. Bui. 174 : 321-334, 1914. 



