310 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



pare favorably with the average home-made sulfur-lime solution. 



As is the case with the commercial mixtures, it has the draw- 

 back of not showing very plainly upon the trees, thus making it more 

 difficult to secure an even application. To correct this it is only neces- 

 sary to add a small amount of milk of lime, just before applying 

 to the trees, until the desired color is secured. 



In many places sulfur can be obtained at |2.00 per hundred pounds 

 so that the expense for lime and sulfur to make 500 gallons of the 

 diluted mixture need not be more than |3.00. After adding a 

 liberal amount for labor, fuel and the use of the plant, it will be seen 

 that the cost will be considerably less than one-half that of the com- 

 mercial mixtures. 



In sections where there are a large number of persons using lime- 

 sulfur mixtures, it would seem an excellent business for someone to 

 take up making the concentrated solution of sulfur-lime in a com- 

 mercial way, as it can be sold, at a good profit at considerably less- 

 than the price charged for mixtures made in other states as there 

 would be a large saving in the way. of freight, commissions, adver- 

 tising, etc. 



TESTS OF SUMMER SPRAYS. 



Tfests of several materials as substitutes for the Bordeaux mix- 

 ture were made this summer. The use of lime-sulfur which has been 

 favorably tried in the west was one of the main ones. The manufactur- 

 ers of prepared lime-sulfur recommended that their preparations be 

 used in the proportions of one to twenty-five. We found, however, 

 that that strength was too strong and had to reduce the mixtures 

 to one to forty and even fifty. At one to twenty-five the Rex and Ni- 

 agara brands were used on apples, pears, cherries and plums and in 

 each case it burned the foliage. It was then too late to start anew 

 on other trees and with poor weather conditions, the test was only 

 fairly satisfactory. 



Home-made lime-sulfur made by the 12-15-50 formula and reduced to 

 one-fifth that strength for summer use did practically no harm to 

 the foliage. As said before, when made by this formula, it can be pre- 

 pared in condensed form and kept for use at any time, making it as 

 handy for general use as the prepared lime-sulfur mixtures. 



LIME-SULFUR AS A SUMMER SPRAY. 



The results from the lime-sulfur tests showed that it had some 

 value as a fungicide, aMho the foliage on the trees sprayed with 

 lime-sulfur did not appear as healthy or as large as that on the trees 

 sprayed with Bordeaux. Part of this at least was due to the diO'erence 

 in the color of the two sprays. The yellow color of the lime-sulfur 

 giving the trees a yellowish appearance, while the bluish color of the 

 Bordeaux gives the leaves a deep green color. The prepared lime- 

 sulfur seemed to give better results than the home-made. 



The lime-sulfur w^as of little value as a remedy for the codling 

 moth. Twenty per cent of the apples were wormy, while on trees 

 sprayed with arsenate of lead only six per cent contained worms. 



