POTATO BLIGHT REMEDY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1024, 16 October 1891, Page 26

POTATO BLIGHT REMEDY.

(to the editor.) g lßj —As a mixture of sulphate of copper and lime is recommended just now as a remedy for disease in potatoes and other vegetables, it may not be out of place to point out that by mixiug lime with a solution of sul. phate of copper, that the sulphurio and of the sulphate' of copper combines with the lime leaving the copper in the form of hydrate and the iitno as sulphate, both of ■which may be said to be insoluble in water, !Now as non® but a chemist would be at all Ifkely to mix the two substances together in such proporti-ns ns to exactly decompose each other, and not leave an atom of one or the other in solution, it is desirable to ascot tain bv experement whether the good effects ascribed to the mixture is not in reality due to the small quantity of either the sulphate of copper or of lime left in solution, after tho two have been mixed-to-gether. To do this, it would be neceEsary to try four lots of the same potatoes nud grow them in the same soil, using to one lot a solution of sulphate of copper in the proportion of two ounces to each gallon of water, another with only one ounce of the sulphate to tho gallon a third withan ounce of quick lime to one gallon of water a fourth lot, with a mixture of the two clear sol. utions. Of course if the simple solution either of the sulphate of oopper or the lime should prove to be better than the mixture usually recommended, it would be much cheaper than the latter, and we should then know what we were using, and not as now either a solution of sulphate of oopper with hydrate of copper or a solution of lime with hyd-ate of oopper according to which in. greditnt used in excep. R. Robinson, Chemist Lambton Quay. WATER MELON CULTIVATION. It lias often been remarked by old colonists I that the melons nowadays are not anyway comparable with tho melons that wo used to buv at two shillings a hundredweight in the early days. This complaint is only partly justified, because, with newly-imported seeds, sown upon suitable soil, and properly cultivated, there have been some monstrously l ar <re and deliciously-flavoured melons produced recently by our gardeners. _ It must be remembered that everywhere, m the early dav° the soil was covered with a rich layer ot decayed vegetable matter, or humus, which has * lon a since been dissipated through denudation of all tho bushes and forest growth, as well as by continuous grazing and cultivation. There can bo little 'doubt that the =eed should be procured from a distant, p’ace and that a better selection should bo made from the tiniest and best-flavoured fruit. Still there is much to he gained from a pro pe-ly selected and well-prepared soil, and from the method of cultivation. The best, soil for melons is one that is sandy, with a little clay, and reasonably rich, but any good, well-drained soil can be made to give good results. The land must be deeply broken, and thoroughly pulverised all over— not simply in a hole three or four feet in diameter. The whole soil should be pulverised to the depth of a foot. The hills should be ten feet apart, or twelve feet is better. Large melons can onlv be got where tlio plants have plenty of room—there will even then be more small melons than are wanted, Sow about a dozen seeds at each place, and if the soil is sandy make the soil rich everywhere alike with old manure and leaf mould. If the soil is of a loamy or clay nature lift out about eight inches deep, and three feet diameter of soil, and replace it with a good soil of rich friab e loam, having plenty of decomposed vegetable matter in it. It will bo noted that the young plants always start off feebly, and if the soil is hard, and cakes or packs around them, they will never make good specimens. When once they make a start, however, the roots will give a good account of their work. If all the seeds come up the plants can be thinned down to five, and when these appear to be well established take out two of the weakest. Finally, when they start to run remove the weaker of the three, and leave the two strongest, which will remain till tho end of the season. Directly the plants are up the soil must be loosened close up to the hilts, and continue cultivating every ten days until the vines begin to run. Now come two very important points—never cultivate nearer to the hills than the ends of the shoots, and •never lift or move the vines. If weeds appear within the range of the runners hoe them out by hand. As the vines extend a few feet in length drive in short pegs on either side,, or place small clods to prevent them being shifted by the wind. Pegs are best if great care is taken not to injure the runner. Good results can never be obtained from melon vines that have been shifted. Tho land should always "bo as level as possible, with, no furrows or do* pressions. SCALE BLIGHT. We would remind orchadists that from now to the end of November is tho season wh°n scale blight can be most successfully attacked. This is the time daring which the insert hatches and leaves tho scaly shell : bnt as the hatching usually spreads over several weeks, the trees shonld be sprayed 2oi 3 times at intervals. We hear of excellent results from the application o Little's Blight Specific which was so ex' tensively tried last year. But neither this specific nor any other should be used too strong, whilst the blossom and setting - f ra it are on the trees. Little's was originally tried as a solution of 65 parts of water to 1 of the fluid. But we observe it is now recommended at 1 to 100 or_l to 120, which is harmless to the trees ana strong enough to kill the insects. The agent for the Specific is Mr F. H. TronsoD, of Lambton Qaay. .