PARIS-GREEN IN WATER. 213 



cannot readily apply it in that way. It is much easier to 

 apply a small quantit}- in the dry form. There has been a 

 machine gotten up to use as a sprinkler, costing some six 

 dollars, which it would be a benefit to the manufacturers, no 

 doubt, if you would purchase ; but it is a waste of money, in 

 my view. 



Question. I would like to ask whether the potatoes ab- 

 sorb any of the Paris-green as food for the plant. 



Dr. Fisher. Potatoes, and all other plants, absorb their 

 food entirely in a liquid form. Paris-green does not and can 

 not exist in a liquid form. It is an insoluble powder abso- 

 lutely. As an illustration of its perfect insolubility, I may 

 here mention a fact that has just come to my notice. A 

 quantity of green was put in a hogshead which was nearly 

 filled with water, to be stirred up and used, as occasion re- 

 quired, for potato-bugs. A valuable heifer obtained access 

 to it, and quenched her thirst in a liberal way. The herds- 

 man was very much frightened in cousequence, and employed 

 some hurried remedies, which proved to be of no avail ; for 

 the reason that the heifer refused to acknowledge that she 

 had done any wrong, and never gave the slightest indication 

 that she was in the least degree affected by the poison. If 

 she had stirred up the green, the result would, of course, 

 have been different. I think it is an advantage to apply 

 the plaster when the leaves are perfectly dry. I should 

 choose a dry, still day. The leaves come up so nearly hori- 

 zontal, that they will hold the plaster perfectly. You want 

 simply, as I said, what looks like a spray of plaster. The 

 smallest particle of green on a potato-vine is amply sufficient 

 for the business. It will remain there tlu-ee weeks, if there 

 should be no rain. A slight rain removes but very little of 

 the plaster: it takes a very heavy rain to wash it all off. 

 And the green is still more persistent than the plaster, and 

 remains after the plaster is washed off. You cannot see it ; 

 but you know it to be there by its effects. 



Question. Did you ever experiment with powdered 

 hellebore? It is perfectly efficient on currant-bushes, and 

 does not damage the fruit at all. 



Dr. Fisher. That is entirely true ; but it is more expen- 

 sive than Paris-green, and more trouble to apply it. 



Question. How much more expensive ? 



