INSECT ENEMIES 125 



boiled mixture seems to be especially valuable as a 

 fungicide, particularly on the peach. It controls the 

 leaf curl, the brown rot, the scab, and, when arsen- 

 ate of lead is added at the spraying after the blos- 

 soming season, the curculio also. The most recent 

 methods of making this mixture, as worked out by 

 Scott and Ayres of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture, are as follows : 



The 8-8-50 formula is recommended. This mix- 

 ture can best be prepared in rather large quantities 

 ■ — say enough for 200 gallons at a time, making the 

 formula 32 pounds of lime and 32 pounds of sul- 

 phur, to be cooked with 8 or 10 gallons of water, and 

 then diluted to 200 gallons. 



The lime should be placed in a barrel and enough 

 water poured on almost to cover it. As soon as the 

 lime begins to slake the sulphur should be added 

 after first running it through a sieve to break up the 

 lumps. The mixture should be constantly stirred 

 and more water added as needed to form a thick 

 paste at first, and then gradually a thin paste. The 

 lime will supply enough heat to boil the mixture 

 several minutes. As soon as it is well slaked, water 

 should be added to cool the mixture and prevent fur- 

 ther cooking. It is then ready to be strained into 

 the spray tank, diluted and applied. 



The stage at which cold water should be poured 

 on to stop the cooking varies with different limes. 

 Some limes are so sluggish in slaking that it is diffi- 

 cult to obtain enough heat from them to cook the 

 mixture at all. while other limes become intensely 

 hot on slaking. Care must be taken not to allow 

 the boiling to proceed too far. If the mixture is al- 

 lowed to remain hot 15 or 20 minutes after the slak- 

 ing is completed, the sulphur will go into solution, 

 combining with the lime to form sulphides, which 



