EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 463 



five of lime, fifteen pounds of sulphur, and eight pounds of salt, to fifty gal- 

 lons of water, boiled one hour, will destroy the scale, and the concensus of 

 those carrying on the experiment was, that the above formula, boiled in the 

 usual way, was the most satisfactory way of preparing the wash, as the water 

 must be hot to get the best results. When the mixture cooled, the pump did 

 not work as well as when boiling hot, nor did it cover the surface of the bark 

 as evenly. 



To determine how late in the spring the spraying with this mixture could 

 be done without injury to the buds, a number of tests were made in a peach 

 orchard near the Station grounds. The following formulas were used: 



First, lime, sulphur and salt, (25-15-8); second, lime and sulphur without 

 salt; third, lime, sulphur, and five pounds of copper sulphate. The trees 

 were of medium size and full of live fruit buds. Six trees were sprayed, 

 with each formula upon the following dates: First spraying, April 25th; 

 second. May 2nd, at which time leaf buds were just showing green; third, 

 May 12th, when the leaves were out but not unfolded and the color showed 

 on all of the blossom buds with an occasional blossom nearly open. The 

 work was very thoroughly done, taking particular pains to drench the trees 

 as though spraying for scale. A few days later the orchard was in full bloom 

 and close observation failed to show any sign of injury to the blossoms, the 

 pistils remaining green and healthy with all of the formulas. The edges of the 

 young leaves were slightly burned, but no difference could be detected, and the 

 injury was not serious. 



These results go to show that it is perfectly safe to spray peach trees, up 

 to the time the blossoms open, with the lime, sulphur and salt mixture. No 

 better results were noted when copper sulphate was used nor did the addi- 

 tion of salt appear to increase the effect of the sulphur and lime mixture. It 

 would be better to do the spraying earlier, but when it is necessary to spray 

 during the late spring, there need be little fear of injury to the peach buds 

 up to the time the blossoms open. 



The Owen Process. 



This so-called process, named after the originator, was claimed to be a specific 

 for all dfistnictivfi insect pests and diseases that attack fruit or shade trees. 

 While no confidence in the remedy was felt, the agent was allowed to treat a 

 few trqj^s on the Station grounds gratis. The treatment consisted of boring a 

 hole to the heart of a tree and putting in a grayish-black powder, composed 

 largely of sulphur and charcoal, and then inserting a wooden plug. The usual 

 charge for treating a tree was fifty cents, one-half of which was paid down 

 and the rest at the end of the season. All kinds of fruit trees were treated and 

 immunity was promised against insects and diseases of every kind for a period 

 of five years. Up to the present time no effect, whatever, has been noticed and 

 we have no reason to change our original opinion, that the money paid for the 

 treatment by many fruitgrowers was thrown away. 



Fall Spraying Experiments. 



As a comparative test, to determine which was the best formula for leaf-curl 

 •when applied in the fall, a number of trees were sprayed on November 25, 

 1903, with copper sulphate (two pounds to fifty gallons of water), Bordeaux 

 mixture (4-5-50), and lime, sulphur and salt (25-15-8). Check trees of the 

 same variety where each formula was used w'ere left for spring spraying, which 

 was done April 4, 1904. The fall-sprayed trees showed far less leaf-curl than 

 those not sprayed at all, but there was a slightly larger number of diseased 

 leaves than with the spring spraying. There was no difference between copper 

 sulphate and Bordeaux mixture as applied for leaf-curl in the spring. The lime, 

 sulphur and salt was, if anything, the best for fall spraying, but unless needed 

 for scale, is too expensive to use for this purpose. No injurious effects were 

 noted upon either leaves, or fruit buds, from the use of the sulphur wash in 

 the fall. 



To test the effect of a heavy application of lime thick enough to form a 

 coating and thus protect the peach buds during the winter, a number of four- 

 year old peach trees, one of each variety, were sprayed with lime wash as thick 

 as could be applied with a coarse nozzle, adding eight pounds of salt to fifty 



