78 THE REPORT OF THE No. 19 



The fungicidal value of the wash is probably due, first to the sulphur 

 and certain sulphur compounds which are well known to have a fungicidal 

 value, and secondly to the covering left on the tree acting as a means of 

 preventing spores from finding so favorable a lodging place as they other- 

 wise would. The spray that falls on the dead leaves on the ground beneath 

 the tree must do much to destroy spores that are hibernating there. ^ We 

 cannot, however, say definitely just how the wash gets its full insecticidal 

 and fungicidal value. 



Kinds of Trees and Shrubs that May be Sprayed. 



Many fruit-growers are using this wash now on every kind of fruit-tree 

 and shrub, even on raspberry bushes. A few are using it on grape-vines 

 but this is unusual. It has no known injurious effect upon any of these 

 plants. 



Results Upon Insects and Fungus Diseases. 



In discussing the results of the spray, I shall take up its effect upon 

 insects first and then upon fungus diseases and upon the general health of 

 the tree. 



The San Jose Scale. 



It seems hardly necessary to discuss the effectiveness of the lime-sulphur 

 wash against the San Jose scale. There is none of this scale at Guelph, 

 hence I had to rely upon my own observations elsewhere and upon the testi- 

 mony of reliable fruit-growers for my information, on this point. I shall 

 mention a few cases simply by way of illustrating that the wash will most 

 effectively control this terrible pest. In the St. Catharines district the fruit- 

 growers who have carefully and systematically sprayed their trees with this 

 wash are not at all afraid of the San Jose scale, whereas those who never 

 spray or carelessly spray are rapidly losing their trees by its ravages. Such 

 men as the latter class explain the success of their neighbors on the ground 

 that Heaven is kind to some people while others never have any luck. But 

 let us take the case of Mr. Bunting, president of the Fruit-growers' Asso- 

 ciation of the St. Catharines district. On one part of his farm there were 

 four or five rows of pear trees that had been sprayed with Scalecide at the 

 strength of one part to fifteen of water. Nearby in the same orchard were 

 several acres of peach trees that had been sprayed with lime-sulphur. As 

 I walked along between the rows of pear trees and looked at the fruit on the 

 ground, I saw that nearly every pear showed numerous red spots, which said 

 more plainly than words that they were badly attacked by the San Jose 

 scale. In the peach orchard, however, I sought in vain for some time to 

 find a single scale. Mr. Bunting said there were some left but so very few 

 that one often had to look a long time to find any. Another example of 

 the effect of the wash was seen at Mr. Doughbrough's farm at Vineland. 

 On this farm the lime-sulphur had scarcely been used at all until th^'s year. 

 The rapid increase of the scale, however, caused Mr. Doughbrough to try 

 the wash this season on all infested trees. Last autumn several trees were 

 so badly weakened by the scale that it was thought they would die. It was 

 decided not to cut these down this spring but to keep them as a special test 

 of the merits of the wash. Accordingly each tree was very carefully spray- 

 ed. The results surpassed the hopes of Mr. Doughbrough. On all the trees 

 but one there was hardly a scale left and this one had fewer than the previ- 

 ous year. Furthermore the foliage was vigorous and the trees bore almost 

 an average crop of fruit. It is unnecessary, however, to mention other ex- 



