6 
point is an important one and should not be overlooked in making esti- 
mates of the effectiveness of washes. 
THE WASH AN AVAILABLE REMEDY FOR THE EAST. 
The advantages of the California wash are notable. It is inexpensive, 
costing but little above one cent per gallon for materials, and does not 
entail any danger to the plant treated. It is furthermore a very valu- 
able fungicide and is notably useful against the peach leaf curl, sprayed 
trees being practically immune from this disease. In its general fungi- 
cidal action, it 1s noted that trees to which it has been applied are 
much cleaner and freer from disease and more fruitful, so that the cost 
of treatment is often more than made good by the fungicidal benefit 
alone. Its disadvantages are the difficulty of preparation and heavy 
wear which it entails on apparatus, objections, however, which do not 
offset its advantages if future experience confirms the more recent 
results. The danger in careless hands in the use of petroleum oils, 
also their expense, and the great expense of soap washes, bring this 
lime, sulphur, and salt wash into especial prominence and recommend 
it to all who are so situated as to prepare it easily. This does not, 
however, discredit in the least the other washes mentioned. 
COMPOSITION AND PREPARATION OF THE WASH. 
The report of the Department Chemist (given in footnote on page 4) 
indicates sufficiently clearly the compounds entering into this wash and 
the behavior of these, respectively, in dry and moist climates. It is 
evident that in all the formulas, both those recommended above and 
others (practically every experimenter making a formula of his own), 
there is a great excess of lime which adds to the lime coating on the 
tree, and doubtless has its benefit as a deterrent. The composition of 
the wash is a matter of some indifference. I believe the formula fol- 
lowed in the experiments just described and recommended in Circular 
42 is a good one to follow. This wash gave perfectly satisfactory results 
against the San Jose scale and is less wasteful in ingredients than many 
others, although still containing a considerable excess of lime, but per- 
haps not more than is desirable. The action of the salt is not very well 
understood, and it is possible that this element could be eliminated, as 
indicated by some recent tests, without affecting the results of the treat- 
ment. Salt is, however, used in whitewash to give adhesiveness, and 
it may act in the same way in this wash, causing it to adhere longer 
and better than would be the case without it. 
The wash is practically a sheep dip imported into California, I 
believe, from Australia, and with the advent of the San Jose scale 
employed with little change against this insect, and by a lucky chance 
proving effective. 
Prolonged and hard boiling increases the percentage of the higher 
