Bulletin 208, Cucumber Diseases in Florida


 The disinfectant can be purchased from local druggists and
 can be obtained in the form of dry crystals or made up in the
 form of pills. An ounce of the crystals dissolved in 71/2 gallons
 of water makes a solution the designated strength, 1:1,000.
 When smaller quantities of the disinfectant are desired it is
 advisable to use pills. One pill dissolved in one pint of water gives
 a solution of the strength of 1:1,000. If a gallon of the disinfec-
 tant is desired, dissolve eight pills in a gallon of water.
 Corrosive sublimate is a deadly poison when taken internally.
 Consequently, it should be kept away from children. When the
 solution is made up it looks like water, being tasteless and odor-
 less, yet deadly poisonous. Thus, necessary precautions should be
 taken in disposing of the liquid after it has been used so that
 nothing will drink it, as it will kill stock, poultry and human
 beings.

 FUNGICIDES AND THEIR APPLICATION
 It has become an established fact among cucumber growers
 that plant diseases are their worst enemies. If they could control
 the diseases that attack the host plant, they could produce a
 good crop of cucumbers almost every season. The use of fungi-
 cides for the control of diseases has not been generally practiced
 throughout the cucumber growing sections of the state up to the
 present time, although more growers are using some sort of
 fungicide for the control of diseases than ever before.

 BORDEAUX MIXTURE
 Home-made Bordeaux mixture, 4-4-50, is the most valuable
spray for the control of diseases. Although not used exclusively
by the growers, it is probably used more than all other fungicides
combined. When weather conditions are normal it gives good
control if properly made and applied.
 If a large amount of spraying is to be done, it is most convenient
to make up stock solutions of bluestone and lime in such propor-
tions that one pound of either bluestone or lime is contained in
each gallon of water. These stock solutions will keep indefinitely
provided they are not allowed to dry out. When a stock solution
is once made the surface level should be marked on the inside of
the container so that water lost by evaporation can be replaced
and the whole thoroughly stirred before any of the materials
are used. Keep stock solutions covered.