Provincial Board of Horticulture. 1897 



Briefly, the best results have been obtained from the use of the Bordeaux mixture made 

 in accordance with the following directions: In a barrel or other suitable vessel place 25 

 gallons of water. Weigh out 4 pounds of copper sulphate, then tie the same 



Directions for 

 use. 



in a piece of coarse gunny-sack and suspend it Just; beneath the surface of 

 the water. By tying the bag to a stick laid across the top of the barrel, no 

 further attention will be required.. In another vessel slack 4 pounds of lime, using care in 

 order to obtain a smooth paste, free from grit and small lumps. To accomplish this it is best 

 to place the lime in an ordinary water pail and add only a small quantity of water at first, say 

 a quart or a quart and a half. When the lime begins'to crack and crumble arid the water 

 to disappear, add another quart or more, exercising care that the lime at no time gets too 

 dry. Toward the last considerable water will be required, but if added carefully and slowly 

 a perfectly smooth paste will be obtained, provided, of course,' the lime is of good quality. 

 When the lime is slacked add sufficient water to the paste to" bring the whole up to 25 gallons. 

 Wheri the copper sulphate is entirely dissolved and the liine is cool, pour the litde, milk and 

 copper sulphate solution slowly together into a barrel' holding 50 ' gallons. ' ' The milk of lime 

 should be thoroughly stirred before pouring. The method described insures good mixing,' but 

 to complete this work the barrel of liquid should receive a final stirring for at least three 

 minutes with a broad wooden paddle. 



It is now necessary to determine whether the mixture is perfect — that is, if it will be safe 

 to apply to tender foliage. To accomplish this two simple teists maybe used. First insert 

 the blade of a pen knife in the mixture, allowing it to remain there for at least one minute. 

 If metallic copper forms on the blade, or, in other words, if the polished surface of the steel 

 assumes the colour of copper plate, the mixture is unsafe and more lime must be added. If, 

 on the other hand, the blade of the knife remains unchanged, it is safe to conclude that the 

 mixture is as perfect as it can be made. As an additional test, however, some of the mixture 

 may be poured into an old plate or saucer, and while held between the eyes and the light the 

 breath should be gently blown upon the liquid for at least half a minute. If the mixture is 

 properly made, a thin pellicle, looking like oil on water, will begin to form on the surface of 

 the liquid. If no pellicle forms, more milk of lime should be added. 



The foregoing directions apply to cases where small quantities of the mixture are needed 

 for more or less immediate use. If spraying is to be done upon a large scale, it would be found 

 To spray on a ™"''^ """"^ convenient and economical in every way to prepare what are 

 large scale. known as stock solutions of both the copper and lime. To prepare a stock 

 solution of copper sulphate, procure a barrel holding 50 gallons. Weigh out 

 100 pounds of copper sulphate, and after tying it in a sack Suspend it so that it will hang as near 

 the top of the barrel as possible. Till the barrel with water, and in two or three days the 

 copper will be dissolved. Now remove the sack and add enough water to' bring the solution 

 again up to the SO-gallon mark, previously made on the barrel. It will be understood, of 

 course, that this second adding of water is merely to replace the space previously occupied' by 

 the sack and the crystals of copper sulphate. Each gallon of the solution thus made will con- 

 tain two pounds of copper sulphate, and, under all ordinary conditions of temperature, there 

 will be no material recrystallization, so that the stock preparation may be kept indefinitely. 



Stock lime may be prepared in much the same way as the copper sulphate solution 

 Procure a barrel holding 50 gallons, making a mark to indicate the 50-gallon point. Weigh 

 out 100 pounds of fresh lime, place it in the barrel, and slack it. When slacked, add suflicient 

 water to bring the wole mass up to 50 gallons. Each gallon of this preparation contains, after 

 thorough stirring, two pounds of lime. 



When it is desired to make Bordeaux mixture of the 50-gallon formula it is only necessary 

 to measure out three gallons of the stock copper solution, and, after thorough stirrin" two 

 gallons of the stock lime ; dilute each to 25 gallons, mix, stir, and test as already desc'ribed 

 One test will be sufficient in this case. In other words, it will not be necessary to test each 

 lot of Bordeaux mixture made from the stock preparations, provided the first lot is perfect and 

 no change is made in the quantities of the materials- used. Special care should be taken to 

 see that the lime milk is stirred thoroughly each time before applying. As a final precaution 

 it will be well to keep both the stock copper sulphate and the stock lime tightly covered 



Whatever kind of spraying pump is used for applying Bordeaux mixture must be provided 

 with a nozzle that will furnish a mist-like spray, and at the same time be easy to clean of any 

 obstruction that may clog the necessarily small opening. There is no form of nozzle that so 

 well fills these requirements as the Vermorel, which is now sold with nearly all sprayin<' outfits 



