764 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [May i, 1889. 
which yield to drops of water coming from rain or 
dew, small quantities of copper, sufficient to kill the 
parasite in its germ. Besides, the epidermis of the 
leaf absorbs a certain portion of the copper mixture, 
and when the germ of the fuDgus succeeds in form- 
ing, it is powerless to penetrate into the interior 
of the plant. 
Choice between Various BIethods. — The sub- 
stances spread over the leaves of the vine must be 
adherent: they must be easy and economical of 
application. 
When one has to treat vines far removed from 
springs or fountains, the employment of powders may 
be reoommended, but they must be employed only 
under certain conditions which will be enumerated 
further on. 
When the vine is near water there is advantage 
in using bouillie bonlelaise or eau celeste. These two 
remedies have been tried last year in our country. 
They have both given good results. In places where 
the- comparison could be established, the bouillie 
bordelaise has however been shewn to be the more 
efficacious. It presents, it is true, the disadvantage 
of being a little longer, and more complicated in 
preparation than eau celeste. 
A third very economical remedy, the preparation 
of which is very simple, is the mixture of blue vitriol 
and soda. It may supplant eau celeste and even 
bouillie bordelaise if the experience of this year are 
favourable. But this mixture has not yet been applied 
on as large a scale as the two remedies of which we 
have just spoken. As it is economical, we advise 
vine-growers to experiment with it on a part of their 
vineyards. They could also make a trial of the new 
bouillies of lime and vitriol in reduced doses. 
Sulfhueized Pkops and Ties. — In former times they 
founded great hopes on. the simple methods of the 
sulphurization of props and the straw used for at- 
taching the vines. With our mode of culture these 
proceedings are certainly insufficient for combating 
mildew. The sulphurization of the props is however 
a very commendable practice with regard to the pre- 
servation of the wood. 
Powders and theie Application. — In later times we 
have heard a great number of powders cried up against 
mildew. The advantage of powders is to facilitate oper- 
ations in vineyards where water is not available, their dis- 
advantage is some uncertainty as to the efficacy of 
this treatment. There are powders which contain sulphur 
and sulphate of copper as essential parts. To them lime 
is added, quick-lime or other substances in various pro- 
portions. Such are the powders Podechard, Skawinski, 
Sulfatine Esteve, sulphates of salts of copper (among 
others Sebastian powder). The sulphur contained in 
these powders may act at the same time on oi'diurn 
(a vine disease) : however the effect on this last 
malady is, it appears, more irregular than when the 
application of sulphur is made separately in hot and 
dry weather. Other powders do not contain sulphur, 
but sulphate of copper is fixed on a substance very 
finely pulverised, such as talc (Sulfostertite) or plas- 
ter (poudre Ooiguet). We find besides in trade, 
mixtures more complicated, such as fungivores or 
fongivores. In powders well prepared, what acts 
against mildew is the sulphate of copper which they 
contain. This substance can only exert its action 
when the powders are fine, adherent and spread over 
leaves moistened by rain or dew. Applied in dry 
weather, the effect of the powders is very unequal. 
Several of the powders abovenamed have not yet 
been experimented on in the Canton de Vaud. The 
sulphates of salt of copper and in particular the 
powder Sebastian have generally given good results. 
The fungivores (powders) have not always kept their 
promise in places where mildew has raged in a 
Bevere form. 
The application of the powders must then be made 
by spray with a bellows or other appliance used for 
sulphurization against oidium. 
Liquids.— In the various remedies which we have 
passed in review, blue vitriol is found combined with 
lime (bouillie bordelaise) with ammonia (eau celeste) 
or with soda (Masson mixture). Finally, one may 
employ, but under certaiu conditions only simple 
solutions of sulphate of copper. 
The sulphate dissolves rather easily in hot water. 
One may accelerate its dissolution by placing the crys- 
tals in an old basket which may be steeped iu the 
upper layer of the liquid. For the preparation of ail 
these remedies, vessels of stone, glass, or copper 
should be used. 
(A.) Bouillie JJordeUtis*. — This is the formula which 
we can recommend for general application i — 
Dissolve 3 kilogrammes of blue vitriol in 10 litres 
of hot water. 
Add 80 litres of water. 
Take besides 2 kilogrammes of good pure quick lime 
Measure 4 litres of water which add little bv LITTLE 
to the lime, so as to make it dissolve first and tlieu 
to transform it into a thick brew; this is to bepoureii 
slowly into the solution of sulphate of coppe, stir- 
ring it carefully with a stick so as to render tht 
mixture of the same consistency. 
In the first formulas indicated by Mons. Millardet, 
the proportions of blue vitriol and of lime were very 
large: 8 kilogrammes of the first to 15 kgs. of lime. 
Latterly they have considerably reduced the doses and 
the present formulas experimented with much 
care and patience of method by Mons. Millardet arc. 
infinitely more simple. 
The formula which we have indicated above is that 
which was generally employed in the Canton de Vaud 
last year. The excellent results which have been 
obtained by it induce us to reproduce it here, and 
to recommend it for the next season. For owners 
of vineyards who wish to make a trial of it, we will 
indicate besides two new formulas of bouillie bor- 
delaise reduced. 
(«) 2 kilogrammes blue vitriol, 1 kg. lime, 100 
litres water. 
lb) U kg. vitriol, 750 g. lime, 100 litres water. 
Some practical details on the fabrication of these 
three bouillies : — Take care to make the solution of 
blue vitriol and of milk of lime in two different 
vessels. Take lime (grasse) pure quick lime — in pre- 
ference to lime maigre, i.e., weak and impure : avoid 
using lime which is exhausted or kept too long in 
store. Throw the milk of lime into the solution of 
6ulphate of copper and not the contrary way. Wait 
to mix these until the solutions are cold. 
Prepare the bouillie bordelaise at least some hours 
in advance. 
(B.) Eau celeste,— One san make eau celeste one- 
self; one can only buy from tradesmen or chemists 
a concentrated solution to which you add a determined 
proportion of water. 
This is the usual formula for those who wish to 
make the liquid for t' emselves. 
Dissolve 1 kg. of sulphate of copper in 4 litres of 
hot water. Afteb cooling add little by little to this 
solution, stirring with a stick 1J litres of the am- 
monia of commerce at 22° Baume. 
We obtain thus a limpid solution, dark blue, which 
attenuate to 200 litres. The addition of ammonia pro- 
duces quite at the commencement a precipitate which 
should be bluish white, while the solution takes a 
fine blue tint. If the precipitate be greenish or 
yellowish, the sulphate of copper contains some 
sulphate of iron as an impurity, which lessens its 
value. Do not employ more ammooia than the quan- 
tity indicated, that the solution may not be too caustic. 
It is necessary to weigh and measure carefully the 
substances employed. It this prescription is neglected, 
one runs the risk of seeing burns produced on the 
vine leaves. 
If you buy eau celeste (azurine) concentrated, aud- 
it is a system which appears to us very practicable 
for vinegrowers, it is well to buy only of houses 
known and trusted. Ask exactly the quantity of 
water to add to the concentrated solution. 
(O.) Masson process, — Instead of employing a mixture 
of blue vit' iol and ammonia, M. Masson, Professor of the 
School of Vine-culture of Bsume, has proposed to add 
soda to the solution of blue vitriol. This substance 
is much less costly than ammonia, and the liquid 
obtained has given up to the present time good 
