FORTIETH ANNUAL REPORT. 77 



Our present insecticide law seems to cover the gi'ound very well but. 

 in order to liave it made effectual some pro\asion should be made for 

 carrying on the work of collecting the samples and of making the analy- 

 ses. This should be brought to the attention of the next legislature. 



From this year's experience it would seem that the manufacturers 

 of the spraying materials that are in most common use have tried to 

 live up to the requirements of the law and that the brands now on 

 the market are kept fairly well up to the guarantee. To make the law 

 of real value, however, every one should inform himself regarding the 

 nature of the materials he is likely to use and then carefully examine 

 the labels and hud out just what he may expect to get. By doing this 

 one can not only make a considerable saving in the first cost of the 

 materials, but will be able to secure much better protection of his 

 crops from the attacks of the dangerous insects and diseases. 



DISCUSSION. 



A Member — I would like to know if a permit has been granted to 

 anyone to go around selling the sample packages that they call ''Blood 

 Medicine," to be inserted in the body of a tree at |1.00 per bottle. Per- 

 sonally I don't think it is worth anything. 



Mr. Taft — When was it done? I have never heard of it. 



A. All during fair time. 



Mr. Taft — I merely know that they had no i>ermit for its sale. 



Q. If the stuff is all right, do you think it would be any good? 



A. Some three or four years ago a similar scheme took thousands of 

 dollars from the pockets of some of the best posted fruit growers of 

 INIichigan, but no benefit to the trees was observed. 



A Member — Nearly all of the limes that we have had run from 15 to 

 35 and 40% of magnesia. I would like to know if we cannot get some 

 that are less than this, and I would be glad if you would name what 

 you consider the best. 



Professor Taft — I do not want to advertise the limes of any manu- 

 facturer, but the two best that we haA^e been able to find in Michigan 

 are the Sibley and Alpena limes. 



A Member — Do you know where the Michigan Lime Company is sit- 

 uated? I have understood that their lime contains only 1% of mag- 

 nesia. 



Professor Taft — I never heard of the Michigan Lime Company. I 

 have with me a number of analj'ses of different limes, including the 

 Petoskey, Bay Shore and other brands, and they run from 15 to 19%. 

 The Ohio limes run from 35 to 40%. 



Q. 'What did I understand you to say in regard to the Sibley lime? 



Professor Taft — The Sibley Lime, made at Sibley near Detroit, is 

 a good lime, as it has only 1% of magnesia. I understand that some 

 samples have shown only 14 of !%• 



Q. Does the magnesia form a combination with the sulphur, and if 

 so, what is it? 



Professor Taft — I am not a chemist, but presume the sulphur com- 

 bines with the magnesia either as a sul]>hide or as a sulphate. 



Q. I would like to have question No. 43 answered. "What legal 

 protection have we when a neighbor refuses to spray his scale infested 

 orchards?" 



