34 THE REPORT OF THE No. 19 



ing that was necessary. Early in the spring Dr. E. P. Felt, State Ento- 

 uologist at Albany, New York, asked me to try the following mixture : 



Lime 25 pounds 



Sulphur (flowers) 20 pounds 



Sal soda 12^ pounds 



Water 1 barrel 



The method of preparation was as follows : Put five or six pails of hot 

 water into a wooden barrel, add the lime quickly following the sulphur and 

 Sill soda, and stir until the slaking is practically completed. It may be nec- 

 essary to add a little cold water at intervals to keep the mixture from boiling 

 o\ er. After the violent action has ceased, cover the barrel to retain the heat, 

 and allow to stand from 15 to 30 minutes. Dilute to the full quantity and 

 apply. 



After advice from the Department at Toronto, Prof. Harcourt and my- 

 self were urged to test not only the above formula but also another lime-sul- 

 phur wash in which caustic soda is used, the formula being : 



Lime 30 pounds 



Sulphur (flowers) 15 pounds 



Caustic soda 5 pounds 



Water 1 barrel 



The method of preparation was as follows : Slake two-thirds of the lime 

 vith water enough to prevent either burning or drowning, and during the 

 Drocess sift over and stir in one-half the sulphur, then add the remainder of 

 the lime and more water, and as the boiling continues stir in the balance of 

 the sulphur, adding water as needed, stirring to help the combination. 

 While the mixture is still steaming add one-third of the caustic soda, which 

 w'U cause violent boiling, and before this is over add another third. If then 

 the mixture has not reached a brick red color add the remainder, and after 

 standing for a time dilute to the required amount. The formula was first 

 tried by the Experiment Station at Geneva, and is, consequently, known as 

 the Geneva Formula. 



Prof. Harcourt and myself, acting in co-operation with a special com- 

 mittee appointed by the Niagara Fruit Growers' Association, made arrange- 

 ments to test the two lime-sulphur mixtures. The first experiment was tried 

 in the orchard of W. H. Bunting. The application was made on the 23rd 

 of April. The trees were not over thrifty and were well covered with scale. 

 jSext, one barrel of the lime-sulphur sal soda wash, was applied on trees in 

 ihe orchard of Geo. Robertson, two trees of which were badly infested. One 

 barrel of same mixture was applied on several badly infested trees in W. C. 

 McCalla's orchard, and one barrel of the same mixture in Mr. Griffith's or- 

 chard, one tree of which was badly infested. A barrel of each kind of wash 

 was applied on badly infested trees in the orchards of Messrs. Secord, Titter- 

 ington, and McArdle. 



In the preparation of both of these mixtures there was little trouble in 

 obtaining the characteristic amber color of the well boiled lime-sulphur com- 

 bination, but it was found that quick slaking lime should be used and that too 

 much water should not be present, and that with hot water better boiling is 

 secured with probably better results. 



These orchards were visited in July and August by the committee and 

 ourselves, and in every case little or no difference could be seen in the num- 

 bers of living scale on the trees sprayed with these mixtures and those sprayed 

 with the usual boiled-lime-sulphur wash. Dr. Felt, in a recent letter, re- 

 ports that excellent results have been obtained from this season's work with 



