44 
TETHER SEED CO. 
SOIL AND SEED TREATMENT 
AS RECOMMENDED BY NEW JERSEY STATE EXPERIMENT STATION 
Each year many gardeners have heavy losses of plants due to damping-off, fungi 
and other disease organisms which are held over in plant bed soils from one year 
to another. These diseases may not always attack the young plants in the bed, 
but develop later after transplanting in the field. 
If the disease can be traced to the seed bed, it is advisable to change the soil, 
but even new soil taken from cultivated fields may be contaminated with disease 
producing organisms, so the only sure method of control is sterilization of the soil. 
Steam sterilization is the most effective and is recommended where steam is 
available. 
Formaldehyde, used at the rate of 4 pints or pounds to 50 gallons of water, applied 
to the so'il at the rate of 1 gallon to each square foot of ground surface, is the next 
best method. A covering of paper, burlap, etc. for 24 hours after application of 
liquid will help to confine the fumes. When covers are removed, aerate the soil 5 
to 10 days or until the fumes have disappeared. 
Formaldehyde Dust may be used where damping-off of tomato, eggplant, pepper, 
celery and cucumber seedlings is a serious problem and where soil sterilization is 
not practiced. This method consists of thoroughly mixing 1% ounces of dust per 
square foot with the top 2 to’ 3 inches of soil. The seed should be planted immediate¬ 
ly and the soil liberally watered. For cabbage, cauliflower or other crucifer seeds 
only 1 to 1 x /-2 ounces should be used and for lettuce even less as these crops seem 
to be more sensitive to the ti’eatment. 
RECOMMENDED SEED TREATMENTS 
Seed treatment is important, not only to control diseases which may be carried 
on the seed, but to help control damping-off of the young plant and prevent the 
seed from rotting while germinating. The benefits to be derived are well worth the 
small expense. 
Tomato, Pepper, Eggplant Seed Treatment 
Mono-hydrated Copper Sulphate Dust, using *4 ounce to 1 pound Of seed, or 2 
level teaspoonsful to % pound of seed. 
Red Copper Oxide Dust, using 14 ounce to 1 pound of seed or 1 level teaspoonful 
to % po’und of seed. 
Organic mercury compounds as Semesan may be used in place of copper. *4 
teaspoon ful to 1 pound of seed ; for tomatoes *4 teaspoonful to 1 pound of seed. 
Spinach Seed Treatment 
Growers often have difficulty in securing a go'od stand of spinach. This is often 
caused by damping-off of the young plants and may be controlled by treating the 
seed with Red Copper Oxide Dust before planting. Use this dust at the rate of % 
pound to a bushel of seed (approximately 50 pounds). 
Beet seed should be treated for damping-off similar to Spinach seed with Red 
Copper Oxide Dust. 
Cucumber and cantaloupe seed should be treated with organic mercury just prior 
to seeding. Semesan, *4 teaspoonful to 1 pound of seed. 
-o- 
FOR TOMATO, PEPPER AND EGGPLANT 
If a grower neglects soil or seed treatment and damping-off develops in the 
plant beds it may be checked and held under control by spraying or sprinkling the 
beds with a norm,al solution of liquid Semesan, 1 ounce to 3 gallons of water or 1 
teaspoon ful to 1 gallon, applied at the rate of l 1 /^ quarts per 10 square feet of soil. 
It may be necessary to repeat application for complete control. 
To control Cabbage Root Maggots, treat the plants a few days after trans¬ 
planting with a solution of Corrosive Sublimate (bichloride of mercury), 1 ounce 
dissolved in 8 to 10 gallons of water. Pour about % cupful at the base of each 
plant, wetting the soil as well as the plant. 
