Cause of Mottle Leaf.

What is the cause and cure of mottle leaf of citrus trees?

There are apparently a number of causes of this trouble, all more or less obscure and hard to overcome.  It is generally thought that it is due to poor nutrition, whatever the reason for poor nutrition might be.  The presence of a nematode or eel worm on the roots has found to be a cause of mottle leaf in many cases.  Poor drainage, too sandy soil and a number of other things frequently cause it.  Whatever the cause, no one good method of cure has been found.

Potato Scab.

I think most of my potatoes will have some scab.  Will you please tell me if my next crop would be apt to have scab, provided I got good clean seed and planted in the same ground?

It seems demonstrated that a treatment of the seed will practically insure against potato scab.  One method is dipping the potatoes in a solution of corrosive sublimate.  Dissolve one ounce in eight gallons of water and soak the seed potatoes in this solution for one and one-half hours before cutting.

Gopher Poison.

I have some alfalfa, some hogs and some gophers, also some strychnine and carrots.  If I put the strychnine on the carrots, and endeavor to poison the gophers, and the hogs get hold of the poison will it kill them?

You will find that hogs are liable to poison like any other animal, and the safest way to poison the gophers, while the hogs are running in the field is to bury the poisoned carrots very deeply in the gopher hole and then put a row of sticks or branches over the mouth of the hole so that the hogs cannot root around and get at the poisoned carrots.

How to Make Bordeaux.

Use copper sulphate (bluestone) 5 pounds; quick-lime (good stone lime), 6 pounds; water, 50 gallons.  Put the bluestone in a sack and hang it so it will be suspended just under the surface of a barrel of water over night, or dissolve in hot water.  Use one gallon of water to one pound of bluestone.  Slake the lime in a separate barrel, using just enough water to make a smooth, clean, thin whitewash.  Stir this vigorously.  Use wooden vessels only.  Fill the spray tank half full of water, add one gallon of bluestone solution for each pound required, then strain in the lime and the remainder of the water and stir thoroughly.  The formula may be varied according to conditions, using from 3 to 8 pounds of bluestone to 50 gallons of water and an equal or slight excess of lime.  Use the stronger mixture in rainy weather.  Keep the mixture constantly agitated while applying.

Formula for Lime-Sulphur.