27 



that at the end of the season the treated trees were very little bet- 

 ter than the checks, and conseqnently neither material can be consid- 

 ered as valuable in checking; the San Jose scale. 



Kecent disquietinij reports, enianatin^r from New Jersey, as to the 

 poor success obtained with lime-sulphur washes led us to inquire 

 rather closely into New York conditions, with the result that, so far 

 as we could learn, wherever the trees were thoroughly sprayed with 

 a lime-sulphur wash the scale was kept in control in a very satisfac- 

 tory manner. This does not reflect in the slightest upon the work 

 done in New Jersey, but refers simply to our New York conditions, 

 and the statement is made at this time because we can not help feeling 

 that lime-sulphur washes at present afford the most practical method 

 of controlling the San Jose scale, despite the fact that their prepara- 

 tion is laborious and their application exceedingly disagreeable. 



Mr. Smith stated that lime-svdphur mixtures have not iDcen as 

 successful in New Jersey during the past season as in former years. 

 On apple and j^lum they were especially ineffective. In 1903-4, after 

 a thorough examination of certain areas, the lime-sulphur washes 

 were reconunended quite extensively. Several persons made a busi- 

 ness of spraying, and careful examination showed that they were 

 doing thorough work. Caustic soda was used in some cases, but no 

 good results Avere obtained. Lime-sulphur mixtures Avere made in 

 all ways, but uniformly poor results followed their use. When apple 

 and peach were planted alternately the results on peach might be ex- 

 cellent, while on tlie apple .failure resulted. One groAver Avho had 

 been using petroleum for years in 1903^ used lime-sulphur Avash on 

 half his trees, consisting of apple and pear. A large share of the 

 pears sprayed Avith the lime-sulphur-salt mixture Avere so badly in- 

 fested as to be unsalable, while the fruit on the oil-sprayed trees Avas 

 clean. In the case of apples, it seemed as if the pubescence kept the 

 wash from touching the scales, and these get out on the fruit, al- 

 though the tAvigs might be practically free from them. AMiile no 

 very marked difference Avas oliserved, the boiled Avash seemed on the 

 Avhole to be better than the unboiled. 



Mr. Gillette said that perhaps climatic conditions might have been 

 responsible for the failure in these cases. 



Mr. Smith said that it had been an excessiA^ely cold Avinter. 



Mr. Phillips stated that if carefully i^repared the so-called uncooked 

 lime-sulphur mixture really boiled from fifteen to thirty minutes, 

 but in order to secure a long boiling period it is necessary to liusband 

 the heat from the slaking lime A'ery carefully. The method sug- 

 gested Avas to put the lime and sulphur in the barrel together and use 

 sufficient boiling water to slake the lime, being very careful not to let 



