72 transactions of royal scottish arboricultural society. 



Treatment of Sandy Soils. 



1. Sulphuric Acid : i ounce (fluid) per sq. foot, dissolved in water 



and applied at once after the seed is sown and covered. 



2. Same treatment as plot (r), but f'^ ounce per sq. foot. 



3. Copper Sulphate : i ounce per sq. foot, dissolved in water 



and applied at once after the seed is sown and covered. 



4. Same treatment as (3), but I ounce per sq. foot. 



5. Zinc Chloride : y^ ounce per sq. foot, dissolved in water and 



applied at once after the seed is sown and covered. 



6. Formaldehyde : -^ ounce per sq. foot, dissolved in water 



and applied 10 days before seed is sown, 



7. Same treatment as for (6), but apply only 3 days before 



sowing seed and do not cover. 



8. Air-slaked Lime : | ounce per sq. foot, applied dry and raked 



into the upper 3 inches of soil just before sowing. (If 

 hydrated lime is used 3 ounce per sq. foot will be 

 sufficient.) Immediately after the seed is sown and 

 covered apply 4 fluid ounce of sulphuric acid per sq. foot 

 dissolved in water. 



In dissolving disinfectants for sandy soils use sufficient water 

 to make from i to i^ pint of solution per sq. foot; i to i^ pint 

 should be used if the soil is dry, i pint is sufficient if the soil is 

 already wet. 



In practice the best results have been obtained by the use of 

 sulphuric acid. It is cheap and easily applied, but the acid 

 (concentrated) should be handled with care owing to its corrosive 

 action. The acid can be prepared in bulk and spread over the 

 beds by means of an ordinary garden watering-can with a 

 medium-sized rose ; the can may be protected with a coating of 

 melted paraffin wax. 



On the Cooking Lake Forest Reserve Nursery, east of 

 Edmonton, Alberta, and on the Cypress Hills Forest Reserve 

 Nursery, the application not only prevented "damping ofif" but 

 it kept the treated beds free from weeds. The acid caused a 

 marked increase in size of the seedlings. Only pine beds were 

 treated. 



