1895 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
349 
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE MADE EASY. 
“A PLANT DISEASED!” 
What is a Plant Disease? 
That was the second question I asked Prof. Bailey. 
It’s all right to use Bordeaux Mixture, corrosive sub¬ 
limate and all these other things, because the scien¬ 
tists tell us to. We know we get certain results by 
doing so, but how are the results obtained ? What is 
the disease, and how do these applications cure it ? 
I am sure farmers would take more interest in such 
work if they could know more about it, and under¬ 
stand something of what blight and rot and scab 
really are. Suppose a person has smallpox, measles, 
pneumonia, consumption, or some bad sore or wound. 
It is evident that the cause of that disease and its 
progress through the body, must have certain exact 
rules, or else there could be no real cure for it, and 
all the doctors could do would be to guess at the 
proper treatment. You will notice in the papers that 
scientists are discovering the “ germs ” of various 
diseases. By understanding what “germ'’ means, 
we get our first idea of the spread of a plant disease. 
We may call a “ germ” the starting principle of life. 
In this connection, it is the tiny spot that lights upon 
a healthy object, and then multiplies and spreads all 
through it, producing results that so upset the regu¬ 
lar formation of the plant, that it cannot thrive, and 
hence must die. A disease, then, is the entrance 
into the body of a new and inferior life which, by its 
growth, causes death of the tissues that are necessary 
to true growth and health. 
Consumption or tuberculosis, has been written 
about till most people have thought it over somewhat. 
It is pretty well understood that this disease of the 
lungs is started by a tiny spot of disease-life that 
locates itself in the lungs, and begins its deadly work 
of breaking down the true lung tissue and leaving 
lumps of cheesy, horrible matter in their place. It is 
a growth, you see, that spreads through the lungs 
until the air cells are eaten away, and we cannot take 
the needed air into them, while at times blood flows 
out through the broken lungs. Of course there are 
things that could kill this disease-life, but the trouble 
is to apply them in the lungs without stopping the 
ability to breathe air. Pure, dry air and sunshine 
are the best “consumption cures.” 
Take a disease like the potato blight, which most 
people know by sight. All of a sudden the strong, 
green vines begin to turn yellow and brown, and in a 
short time they are down flat on the ground—dead 
and disgusting. Now the question is, what really 
happened to them ? There wasn't the least bit of 
chance about it, but a well-ordered and exact series 
of events took place. 
The year before, a crop of potatoes somewhere 
within wind-shot of that field had this same disease. 
The vines died down to the ground, but the seed or 
germ of the disease lived over winter, like the seed of 
corn or wheat. It is a light and tiny thing, and went 
floating about in the air. The wind carried it into 
your potato patch, and it settled upon a vine. It was 
close, “ muggy ” weather—lots of moisture in the air 
and a temperature of (55 to 70 degrees. That gave it 
just the conditions it needed, and it grew and spread 
like magic—as you have seen mold spread over de¬ 
caying matter, or in damp, dark places. 
If you ever get a chance at a large compound mi¬ 
croscope, look through it upon a very thin slice of 
some growing plant. You will see a series of little 
cells arranged in apparent order, with others moving 
in some apparently living" fluid. The growth of the 
plant is made by these cells forming out of this fluid, 
hardening and growing on to those that are placed in 
regular order. When this order is disturbed, of 
course this growth cannot go on, and that is just 
what happens when this disease germ or seed begins 
to grow on the outside of the leaf or stem. It throws 
out its threads, and makes its growth in such a way 
that the growing cells are all disorganized, and 
growth stops when, of course, decay sets in. This 
blight, then, is really a parasite—a low form of vege¬ 
table growth, which develops on the outside, and so 
upsets the growing structure that the plant cannot 
feed or breathe, and, therefore, must die. 
Your potatoes “ catch if’ very much as you might 
“ catch” a skin disease by shaking hands with some 
afflicted person. But you are not sure to catch that 
disease with that hand shake. If there were no wounds 
on your hand and you washed them in a weak 
solution of carbolic acid, you would not be in much 
danger. Doctors and nurses go among sick people 
and escape infection, because they know how to 
render these “germs” harmless, and also how to keep 
the system in such perfect health that the disease-life 
will not develop on them. 
Science has demonstrated, among other things, that 
close, “muggy” weather is best for the development 
of these disease growths. It has also been shown 
that copper will destroy them. Let one of these 
disease germs fall on a plant coated with a thin film 
of copper, and it cannot grow because the copper will 
kill it. Knowledge of these two facts enables us to 
save the crop from this disease, just as modern medical 
discoveries have enabled us to cure cancers, ulcers 
and other awful wounds which, in former years, 
meant death to persons affected with them. The 
Bordeaux Mixture affords the best method of coating 
the plant with copper that scientific men now know 
of. I hope to talk about that next week. ir. w. c. 
REMEDY FOR THE SAN JOSE SCALE. 
For many years past, we have been using linseed 
oil in our greenhouse for the destruction of scale in¬ 
sects very similar to the San Jos6 scale, that attack 
cacti, English ivies, roses, etc., and have found it 
wholly effective. We have also used it with success 
for the destruction of the Oyster-shell scale attacking 
apple and pear trees, the ash, thorn and willow. This 
spring, we have made an emulsion with it, similar to 
the kerosene emulsion, and as far as we can now 
judge, it is equally as effectual as the clear linseed 
oil used with a brush. The following is the formula 
used : One-half pound common hard soap dissolved 
in boiling water ; one gallon linseed oil, thoroughly 
mixed and churned with the dissolved soap until the 
paste-like emulsion is formed. Dilute to 12 and 24 
gallons. The present indications are that this will 
be destructive to the Oyster-shell scale, to the Elm- 
bark louse, and some other insects, and we hope that 
some one will make a thorough trial of it for the San 
.Jos6 scale. The San Jos6 scale has already been 
found in Massachusetts in one or two places, and we 
shall try the remedy as soon as possible. The linseed 
oil makes an emulsion of a much more dense charac¬ 
ter, and possibly may require more dilution than the 
kerosene emulsion, to prevent injury to the foliage of 
some trees, though, as far as tested, no injury has re¬ 
sulted. We would urge upon all who have the San 
Jos6 scale, to make a careful trial of this remedy. 
Massachusetts Ex. Station. s. g. maynard. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
The asbestos torch is a convenient means of destroying cater¬ 
pillars in fruit trees. It is prepared by Asbestos Torch Company, 
Boston, Mass. 
Ip you are thinking of buying an incubator or brooder this sea¬ 
son, write to the Reliable Incubator and Brooder Co., Quincy, Ill. 
for their special 00-day offer. 
Stuawbkkry plants are offered for one week only at $1 per 1,000 
by Jos. Black & Sons Co., Hightstown, N. J. Look up their “ad” 
in this issue, and send on your dollar at once, if you wish straw¬ 
berries. Anything coming from them will be all right without 
regard to price. 
Wk are in receipt of a very complete illustrated catalogue of 
spraying machinery by W. & B. Douglas, of Middletown, Conn., 
which is sent free on application. This house now makes the 
agitator invented by Prof. Maynard, first illustrated and described 
in The R. N.-Y. of March $). 
A. B. Farquhar Co., of York, Pa., have been represented in The 
r. N.-Y.’s advertising columns in every issue without omission 
for nearly as long as we c.-in remember, and we have never re¬ 
ceived a single complaint of their goods or their treatment of cus¬ 
tomers. Just now they are calling attention to their riding and 
walking cultivator, and wish to send a descriptive circular to 
those who are interested. 
Ip we were asked what one implement on the farm we considered 
the best investment we have made in late years, cost considered, 
we think we would say a mowing machine grinder bought of A. J. 
Tracy & Co., Box 376, New York City. We give the address in full 
for the benefit of any one interested. It is an emery wheel so ad¬ 
justed that it can be attached to a drive-wheel of the machine, 
and the knives ground in a few minutes. It will save its cost the 
first year in horse feed if used as often as the knives become 
dulled. The same firm are now making an emery whetstone for $1, 
which is the next best thing of the kind of which we know. 
1 SUCCESS 
IS ATTAINED WITH 
A SPRAY PUMPS 
*2 B MADE BY 
j THE DEMING CO., Salem, 0. 
<D | BUCKET AND BARREL PUMPS OF 
lm Q ’/ VARIOUS STYLES » WITH ALL BRASS 
a JI WORKING PARTS; KNAPSACK SPRAY- 
W jff ERS, DEMING-VERMOREL AND BOR- 
DEAUX SPRAY NOZZLES, ETC. 
I “THE WORLD’S BEST.” 
O^Cat&logue and Treatise on application. 
ILd HENION & HUBBELL, 
fc"* 25 * Gen’l Western Agts. /CHICAGO. 
an SAVE THE POTATOES 
W From the bugs with one of my 
K Paris Green Sprinklers. 
(GRAY’S PATENT.) 
jSjgw If tried once will never be wlth- 
out it. Can sprinkle more than 
one acre in an hour with it. 
ffijlf It saves half of the Paris 
Green against any other 
mB ajfliTOyN method. Write for prices 
E- g ° ettsche > Mfr> « 
1049 Milwaukee Avenue. 
wKSSi Mention this paper. 
5 fruit Growers 
L Should get our book that explains 
1 8iKt DAVIS SPRAYER 
ft sent Free if you say you saw ad. 
v in this paper. Write now. 
K DAVIS-JOHNSON CO. 
L 45 Jackson St. Chicago, Ills. 
CDD AV =AUT0MATIC 
or HA r machinery. 
Send for Bl. Catalogue. John J. McGowen, Ithaca.N. Y 
ODDAV DIIUDC COLUMBIANA PUMPCO.. 
Or nAl I U In I W 48 R- R. St., Columbiana, Ohio. 
ASPINWALL 
—Paris Green Sprinkler— 
Bugs will come. 
Save your crop. 
Examine the merits of 
our Sprinkler. 
Ten to fifteen acres cov- 
An even mixture of the j 
poison constantly 
secured. 
The Potato Growers'Friend 
Send for illustrated 
circular. 
KILL all BUGS 
5ASTT"overTn^acreT^!>n5 
hour. Easy to use. Only one 
pound Paris Green to acre. No 
plaster or water used. 400 
bushels potatoes to acre. How 
to do it; BOOK FREE. Will 
ipay you to write. . 
jXhe Hotchkiss & Tuttle Co., H 
I Wallingford, Conn. * i 
RAY m ww WALK 
For Potato Bugs, field and small Fruits 
ONE MAN does the work of Six. Spray stops by releasing! 
pressure of thumb, NO WASTE WHATEVER. We are the! 
largest manufacturers of KNAPSACK SPRAYERS, and sell| 
j|the most. Send for illust. pamphlet; never mind the stamp. 
“To spray trees and vines turn nozzle up. (Agts. wanted.) 
THEIeNOX SPRAYER CO., 95 West St., Pittsfield, Mass 
ft n n k\i _IT PAYS - 1 
1*11 II n 1# Our Pumps lla\e Automatic J 
I I l\ | Agitators and Do Best Work. 
R U | Everybody says so. data- n 
^ Wf | \f logue and book of in- q 
111 Btruction 4c. Circulars free. 'U 
IEL1> FORCE PUMP CO., S 
118 Bristol Ave., Lockport, N. V.l 
ONE-HORSE DOUBLE ROW 
PARIS-GREEN 
AND 
FERTI 
LIZER 
DISTRIBUTOR. Send for Circular. 
Address J. W. SPANGLER, York, Pa. 
Leggett’s Paris-Green or Powder Gun 
ered in a single day. x x/ circular. 
ASPINWALL MFG. CO., 62 Sabin Street, Jackson, Mich. 
CAN YOU IMAGINE_ 
Anythinglmore [stupid .than •[waitingjintiJL* you'a.e 
whipped before you begin to fight ? Then get an 
“ ECLIPSE ” spraying outfit right away and hetjin the 
fight on insects and fungi on your fruit before they 
can do you damage. We tell you how to win. Costs 
nothing to know. Send for catalogue. 
MORRILL & M0RLEY, Benton Harbor, Mich. 
I A M I T ET added to stable manure enriches its quality, frees it from insect life. Comes finely 
U I 111 I I EL powdered; applied with bellows on sunny mornings It kills insect life, mildew, and 
similar fungoid growth affecting plants and trees. For original bag of 100 pounds remit $5,10-pound sample 
parcel, $1. to AUGUST ROLKEK & SONS, Seedsmen, New York. 
No plaster or water required. 
From % pound to one pound of 
Green per acre is sufficient for 
potatoes and other vegetables. 
THE GUN will distribute 
evenly any quantity you wish. 
LONG TUBES for ORCHARD 
WORK with each Gun. Easier 
ind better than spraying. 
Thousands in Use. Circular on Application. 
LEGGETT & BROTHER, 301 Pearl St., New York. 
MULSION 
• SHI! 
[j For fruit trees, } 
\ I vines,garden flow- X 
\l/ ers. Our book on ^ 
71 Sprayers tells how 9 
/f\ to help you, your ^ 
n U crops und our bus- m 
/ Jl iness to pay. Its ’ 
f 11 Free send for it. X 
V] W & B. DOUGLAS, J 
kJ/ Middletown, Ct. C 
New York. -v 
Chicago. 9 
SPRAYING CROPS: Why, 
When and How to Do It —By Prof. Clau- 
ence M. Weed. Illustrated. 
This little book tells in plain, understandable 
English, just what the ordinary farmer and fruit 
grower most needs to know. It describes all the 
insecticides and fungicides used in spraying; all 
the principal appliances used ; tells when to 
spray; what precautions to observe ; describes 
the insects and fungi against which it is neces¬ 
sary to guard; in fact, is a complete, condensed, 
convenient handbook on the whole subject. The 
third edition, now ready, contains much additional 
matter, and several new illustrations, thus bring¬ 
ing it up to date. It is indispensable to fruit 
growers and farmers, large or small, scientific or 
non-scientifle. The price in stiff paper covers is 
but 25 cents, postpaid. THE RURAL PUBLISH¬ 
ING COMPANY, New York. 
