The material used for mulching should be of a sort which will not contaminate the garden with disease. Some fungi will be killed if the ground is allowed to freeze before putting on the mulch.
The second and, to my mind, most promising mode of procedure lies in propagating a variety of Ginseng which will be resistant to the wilt disease. In every garden, no matter how badly diseased, there are certain plants which live thru the attacks of the disease and ripen seeds. These seeds should be saved and planted separately, the hardiest of their offspring should be used to propagate seeds for future planting. By thus selecting the hardiest individuals year after year it will be possible in time to originate a variety of parasitic fungi. There seems to me to be more hope in developing such a resistant variety of Ginseng than in discovering some fungicide to keep the disease in check.
Bordeaux Mixture.
It is surprising that any considerable number of farmers, horticulturists, Ginseng growers, etc., are ignorant of a preparation so necessary as Bordeaux for profitable cultivation of many crops. The following is taken from Bulletin 194 of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. The advice given in this paper recently by Professor Craig is repeated and emphasized. Every farmer should have the bulletins issued by the experiment station of his own state and have them within easy reach at all times.
Bordeaux mixture derives its name from the place of its discovery, Bordeaux, France. It consists of copper sulfate, which is commonly called blue vitriol or bluestone, fresh lime and water.
Formulas used — Several strengths of the mixture are used under different conditions:
| 1. (2:4:50) | Copper Sulfate | 2 lbs. |
| Quick Lime | 4 lbs | |
| Water | 50 gals. | |
| 2. (3:6:50) | Copper Sulfate | 3 lbs. |
| Quick Lime | 6 lbs | |
| Water | 50 gals. | |
| 3. (4:4:50) | Copper Sulfate | 4 lbs. |
| Quick Lime | 4 lbs | |
| Water | 50 gals. | |
| 4. (6:6:50) | Copper Sulfate | 6 lbs. |
| Quick Lime | 6 lbs | |
| Water | 50 gals. |
Formula 1 is used for very tender foliage, as peach, plum, greenhouse plants, tender seedlings, etc.
Formula 2 which is a half stronger than the preceding has about the same use but for slightly less tender leaves.