96 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of them so they might become acquainted with the insect, and told them 

 if they found any indications of it at any time to mark the spot and report 

 to me at once. The tree was burned, and within forty-eight hours I had 

 two men going over that orchard with whale oil soapsuds and washing the 

 trees. We succeeded, by these vigorous measures, in stamping out that 

 outbreak of the San Jose scale at once. But a few years later it manifested 

 itself in our locality and we had to go to spraying. 



The next was crude oil, and that proved a disastrous experience for many 

 growers in Ohio. Thousands of trees were killed by the use of crude oil. 

 It did kill the scale, and in a great many cases the trees were not injured; 

 but a great many peach trees especially were ruined by it. 



And then you know we were told that in California and in Oregon and on 

 the Pacific Coast the growers there werfe using the lime-sulphur and salt 

 solution. It was tried in the east, but for some reason or other the first 

 tests with it in the east were not satisfactory; and at once the common people, 

 and I guess the scientists too, jumped at the conclusion that the difference 

 was in our climate. We are too apt to take things for granted in this world. 

 We think a thing is so because some one has told us so ; or perhaps our fathers 

 or grandfathers have been following a certain way, and we take it for granted 

 that is the correct thing. We do not do enough investigating for ourselves. 



So we ran along for several years ignoring the sulphur and lime preparation, 

 when we might have been getting good service from it; but finally investiga- 

 tion showed the lime, sulphur and salt was really being effective; and a little 

 later we found out the salt was unnecessary. The reason salt was first 

 used: This preparation was originally a sheep and cattle dip, used for 

 dipping the sheep to destroy the scab, perhaps 25 years ago, I remember, 

 before we heard of the scale, we had used it on father's farm in dipping a 

 flock of sheep affected with the scab. 



There have been different washes used, and different methods of applying, 

 and different formulae. We have had the selfboiled washes, and many other 

 preparations; but I believe 90 or perhaps 99 per cent of all commercial 

 orchardists today have settled down upon the use of lime and sulphur. 

 And I want to endorse emphatically what Prof. Fletcher said, and what 

 Mr. Hale has reiterated, that at the present time the lime and sulphur is 

 absolutely safe. While it has its disadvantages, those of us who have our 

 capital tied up in our orchards, those of us who are depending upon the out- 

 come of our orchards for paying off the mortgage perhaps, and making the 

 means of supplying our families with the daily needs, cannot afford to run 

 off after false gods very much. It is all right to experiment in a limited 

 way; but for me, I shall continue the use of the lime and sulphur at least 

 another year, because I know it will give me satisfactory results; I know I 

 can control the San Jose scale with it, and it is not injurious to my trees; 

 I know it is beneficial and is not injurious. It has fungicidal properties and 

 it will prevent the leaf curl on the peach, and will prevent apple scab. 



As to our methods of applying: The great drawback to the use of lime 

 and sulphur has been the fact it was a little difficult to apply on a small scale. 

 A great many growers, who have perhaps applied it in a small way with 

 a hand pump, became so thoroughly disgusted with the use of it, that they 

 almost concluded to let the scale have the tree ; thought the lime and sulphur 

 was worse than the scale. 



This problem has been solved in a great many horticultural sections 

 by the growers building their own plants ; or, where there was a community 

 of horticulturists, by having, in a sense, cooperative plants. In our own 



