Mine Enemies 129 
is subject to the crown rot in early spring, and the remedy is 
to cover them with ashes as a fall mulch; also to sprinkle air- 
slaked lime about the foot, and over the crown. The larkspur 
blight is now under advisement, and no remedy is yet assured, 
so I was told by the Plant Industry Department at Washing- 
ton; though I shall relate my own experiment later, which has 
been quite successful for two summers. It assumes the form 
of a shriveling of the buds just as they are about to appear, 
leaving abortive stems only. The only thing recommended so 
far by the Department is to cut out and destroy all infected 
plants, and spray with copper fungicides, using the following 
Government formula for Bordeaux mixture: Copper sulphate, 
three pounds; fresh stone lime, six pounds; water, fifty gallons. 
It is much better to use it freshly mixed, and as a small garden 
will not need so large a quantity at one time, each of the above 
ingredients may be dissolved separately in twenty-five gallons 
of water to be kept as a stock mixture. If the water evapo- 
rates, add water to make up the loss, and combine them as re- 
quired, stirring thoroughly. Or, it may be made freshly each 
time in the exact quantity needed, using the above formula, 
by dissolving separately at the rate of one ounce of copper 
sulphate and two ounces of fresh stone lime each in a half 
gallon of water. Stir well when dissolving and when mixed 
together. In slaking lime add but a little water at a time to 
the lime, as it generates great heat, stirring until all lumps are 
slaked. Slaked lime should be kept covered with water until 
it is used. 
The hollyhock rust has proved quite as deadly and unman- 
ageable as the larkspur blight, when once established. As I 
have grown my larkspurs and hollyhocks from seeds, and I 
am a mile or more from any extensive garden that might have 
infection, the appearance of blight and rust was unexpected. 
It is said that rust, like mildew, attacks weak plants, but my 
