HISTORY OF TREATMENT. 49 



pluir wH'iv c(nnl)iiuKl by Woilinji-. iU'fl ^till lattT ;i raustic spniy ('(mtain- 

 ino- liin(> was tested. All the above eheniieals, even the milk of lime, 

 were applied to dormant trees, and they are all known to possess suffi- 

 cient t'ung'ieidal action to control peach leaf curl to a larj^e extent if 

 applied to the trees shortly before tiiey ])loom. 



While many o^rowers were usiniif these caustic and sulphide sprays, 

 aiu)ther spray containing' nuich larger quantities of sulphur was l)eing 

 used, and proved of nuich greater power, ])()th as a fungicide and insecti- 

 cide. This was a spra}' containing sulphur and lime, or a suli)hide of 

 calcium, and the history of its introduction is of special interest and is 

 inseparal>le from the early history of the treatment of curl. Mr. Alex- 

 ander Craw, (piarantine officer of the California State Board of Horti- 

 culture, has pu])lished an account of the introduction of this spray in a 

 recent num})er of the Pacific Rural Press,' but the following facts 

 were P-leaned from those who were the first to use and introduce the 

 spray.' Mr. A. T. Covell, who first applied this spray to dormant 

 peach trees, near Fresno, Cal., does not supply exact dates relative 

 to the work, but Mr. N. W. Motheral, of Ilanford, and Mr. 1. II. 

 Thomas, of Visalia, agree in placing its tirst use as a sprsiy in the year 

 1880 or 1881. The writer is informed l)y Mr. Motheral that the lime, 

 sulphur, and salt solution was originallv used as a sheep dip in Aus- 

 tralia, where it was known as the ''Victoria lime-and-sulphur-dip" for 

 scab. He states that it was recommended l)y a Dr. Rowe, and offi- 

 cially indorsed for a sheep dip in that country. This dip, it is also said, 

 was introduced in California by Mr. Charles Ho))ler, of Hanford, and 

 Mr. Hobler claims to have tirst recommended it to Mr. Covell, then 

 living near Fresno, for the treatment of his infested peach trees. Mr. 

 Covell disputes this claim, Init holds that he (Covell) first used this 

 solution as a spray upon his trees with success in the control of the 

 San Jose scale. As soon as this spray was found to be a practical suc- 

 cess, Mr. Covell, Mr. Thomas, and Mr. Motheral worked for its gen- 

 eral adoption in the treatment of scale. Mr. Thomas states that he 

 sprayed his own orchard the winter after seeing the action of the spra}^ 

 on Mr. Covell's trees, and about this time the facts were given to the 

 press. Mr. Thomas writes that this spray was in general use in and 

 about Visalia as early as 1883, 1881, and 1885, and in Mr. Motheral's 

 section, near Hanford, at the same time. It may here be stated, 

 however, that lime and sulphur had been united by boiling in water 

 and used as early as 1852, at least in hothouses, for controlling the dis- 

 eases of plants. (See Revue Horticole, 1852, p. 168, and Gardeners' 

 Chronicle, 1852, p. 419.) 



1 Pacific Rural Press, July 29, 1899, p. 68. 



2 Letters from I. H. Thomas, Visalia, Cal., Sept. 6, 1899; N. W. Motheral, Han- 

 ford, Cal., Sept. 6, 1899; and A. T. Covell, Woodbridge, Cal., Oct. 13, 1899. 

 19093— No. 20 4 



