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 cnly 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 soil at the rate of 1 gallon te each square foot of ground surface, is the next best 
method. A covering of paper, burlap, etc. for 24 hours after the 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 144 ounces of dust per square 
foot with the top 2 to 3 inches of soil. .The seed should be planted immediately and the 
soil liberally watered. For cabbage, cauliflower or other crucifer seeds only 1 to 14% 
ounces should be used and for lettuce even less as these crops seem to be more sensitive 
to the treatment. 
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 144 ounce to 1 pound of seed, or 2 level 
teaspoonsful to 144 pound of seed. 
Red Copper Oxide Dust, using 4% ounce to 1 pound of seed or 1 level teaspoonful to 
14 pound of seed. 
Organic mercury compounds as Semesan may be used in place of copper. % tea- 
spoonful to 1 pound of seed; for tomatoes 14 teaspoonful to 1 pound of seed. 
Spinach Seed Treatment 
Growers often have difficulty in securing a good 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 4% 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, 14 teaspoonful to 1 pound of seed. 
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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 
normal solution of liquid Semesan, 1 ounce to 8 gallons of water or 1 teaspoonful to 1 
gallon, applied at the rate of 144 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 transplanting 
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. 
