106 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



down the quantity of copper sulphate. I beheve we can use it three pounds 

 of copper sulphate instead of four, with perfect safety. 



While Prof. Hedrick said there was not anything in the excess of lime, 

 some way or other I like to use an excess of lime. There may not be any use 

 in it. I have not tried it experimentally; but you can see where you have 

 been if you use an excess of lime; it shows up good; it seems to give a fellow 

 a little more satisfaction. And then you are sure, with an excess of lime, 

 of not burning your foliage or causing any trouble. 



There is one thing about spraying that I want to bring out here, and 

 that is on nursery stock. We advocated the method of dipping nursery 

 stock before you plant it. It don't make any difference where it may come 

 from, we know the lime and sulphur is very helpful for the foliage of trees. 

 The papers came out a while ago — I think it was ''The Farm Journal,'^ 

 and other papers — with the theory that it injured the trees; people had 

 injured a large per cent of their young stock by dipping the trees. The only 

 way I could account for it was, they didn't let the mixture cool sufficiently 

 before dipping the trees. I shall never set a tree without treating it with 

 the lime and sulphur wash before it is put out. 



Last spring I did not dip the trees; they were standing in a bunch where 

 I had hauled them in preparing to set them up. I thought I would spray 

 those trees; so I cut the bands on them and spread them out and sprayed 

 them with lime and sulphur; the buds were just starting nicely. Well, it 

 gave them a set back. I know why. I did not think anything about it 

 at the time. We have always said even if a mixture was hot in spraying 

 an ordinary tree by the time the atmosphere struck it, it cooled instantly. 

 I was right on to those trees. It burned them. I didn't take into considera- 

 tion I was spraying so close to those trees; that the spray mixture was too 

 hot. It was not the mixture that hurt the young trees; it was because the 

 mixture was so hot; and in trying to do a thorough job I had not let it cool 

 sufficiently, and I turned it right into the tree, and I hurt the peach trees. 



I don't believe I would set a tree in Michigan without treating it with a 

 mixture of lime and sulphur before planting. It may come from the nursery 

 free from scale, and all that; but I would not risk it. I have found none in 

 my orchard at Eaton Rapids; I have been looking ever since I have been 

 there — two years. The only way I can account for it is, it is not a section 

 where they have been planting fruit trees. I can only account for it in that 

 way, for there is no San Jose scale through that section. 



Q. Would you dip the roots too? 



Mr. Farrand: No, sir, I would not dip the roots. That mixture is pretty 

 strong, and I would not risk it, knowing what I know about the mixture. 



We must stand by the old formulae. I don't advocate to a great extent 

 trying those new remedies. Let our experiment stations first try them 

 for us. The Benton Harbor people are here. There was a new spray came 

 up, and I sent down and told them to be careful. It is so disagreeable^ 

 this lime and sulphur mixture, they couldn't stand it any longer; they must 

 try the new mixture. There were whole orchards killed from the use of 

 that mixture they used. It killed the trees because it was ineffectual and 

 did no good — right at Benton Harbor. So I say stand by these old formulae 

 until you know definitely the new mixtures that are all the time coming up 

 will prove efficient. 



