74 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



true of the funds of the Aorieultural college, and in neither case can 

 they be used for control work such as this would be. 



However, it was felt that it was too iniiHirtant a matter to put over 

 for two years and as soon as the law went into elTcct the manufacturers 

 were called upon to comply with its re(piirements so far as filing the 

 statements and sami»le labels were concerned, and the purchasers of 

 spraying materials sold since January first, 11)10, have been protected 

 by the labels upon each package, which guarantee: the character and 

 weight or measure of the contents, also by the statement and guaranty 

 filed with the Director of the State Experiment Station. 



So far as is known all manufacturers of spraying materials in Mich- 

 igan have coini)lied with the law by filing the statement and sample 

 label and only one case is known to the speaker where changes Avere 

 made in the labels so that they did not correspond with the one on 

 file. 



There have been taken out already permits for the sale of eighty- 

 eight different brands of insecticides or fungicides. Many of these 

 brands are in the hands of hundreds of dealers scattered over the state 

 and some of them do not hesitate to order a carload of some article like 

 lime-su]i)hur solution at one time. Tn fact the use of this article has 

 become so extensive that some individual growers have purchased it 

 for their own use in carload lots. A\nien we consider the vast quanti- 

 ties of some of the other brands that are used it will be seen that it 

 is a very important matt<M' if the fruit growers and farmers can be as- 

 sured of obtaining brands that are up to the standard in every respect. 

 The laAV, hoAvever, cannot ]>rotect the imrchasers to the full extent, un- 

 less they find out just what is guaranteed by the label on the package^!, 

 as this is all that the manufactui-er can be required to furnish. The 

 manufacturer can be held responsible if the contents of the packages 

 are not up to the guarantee, but this can be made one-quarter or less 

 of the standard strength, and the purchaser cannot secure redress if 

 the quality of the essential ingredienfs stated on the label is ])resent. 



The only exception is in the case of Taris green, the standard for 

 which is fixed by our state law at fifty per cent arsenic oxide, of which 

 not more than four per cent shall be soluble. The National "Insecticide 

 law of 1910," which is to go into effect on January first, 1911, also fixes 

 the standard for arsenate of lead at not less than twelve and one-half 

 per cent of which not more than seventy-five one-hundredths of one 

 per cent shall be soluble. 



The material Miiicli is likely to have by far the most cxtensiA^e use as 

 an insecticide as Avell as a fungicide is limesulphur solution. Some 

 ten brands will be On sale in Michigan during the coming season and 

 while the intelligent purchaser Avill be in a measure protected by the 

 present bnv, Avhich requires the amount of soluble sulphur to sIioaa^ on 

 the label, the manufacture of this article has progressed sufficiently 

 far to Avarrant the fixing of a standard to Avhich all brands must con- 

 form. The statement is often made that a first class article should 

 not ('(mtain less than 24 and some say 25 per cent of sulphur in solution. 

 With one exce])tion all of the brands Avhich received permits in Michi- 

 gan last year guaranteed at least 24 per cent, Avhile several have fixed 

 the per cent of sulphur at 25 and two will actually guarantee 25i/o per 

 cent of sulphur in solution in their goods. 



