Lime-Sulphur vs. Bordeaux for Summer Spraying 



L. Caesar, Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph 



IN the February issue of The Canadian 

 Horticulturist appeared a partial 

 report of an address on "Lime-sul- 

 phur vs. Bordeaux for Summer Spray- 

 ing- of Apples and Pears," that was giv- 



Uiing the Kuapiack Spray Pump 



Red Cheeked Pippin (Monmouth) apple tree, 

 four years planted, in the Fleming orchard, Vic- 

 toria. B. 0. 



en at the last convention of the Ontario 

 Fruit Growers' Association. Further 

 information on this subject is published 

 herewith : 



AESENIOALS WITH LIME-8ULPHUE. 



We have now seen that there is very 

 little or no doubt that lime-sulphur, 

 either of the commercial or of the self- 

 boiled type (hot water being used in 

 making the latter), but preferably com- 

 mercial, will control the ordinary dis- 

 eases of the orchard almost as well as 

 Bordeaux, the differences being very 

 slight, if any. But there are still sev- 

 eral very important points to take into 

 consideration and the first of these is, 

 whether we can use an arsenical with 

 the lime-sulphur, to kill biting insects, 

 such as the codling worm. If not, there 

 are very few fruit growers who will have 

 time to make the extra applications 

 necessary. 



With Bordeaux we can use arsenate 

 of lead or Paris green or arsenite of 

 lime, and not fear that any evil effects 

 will result from the combination. With 

 the self-boiled lime-sulphur, where there 

 is a great abundance of lime, there is no 

 doubt that any of the above poisons may 

 be used with safety. I have myself used 

 all three and seen not the slightest sign 

 of injury, although I purposely drenched 

 the foliage and used the poisons strong- 

 er than required. With the commercial 

 lime-sulphur arsenate of lead has been 

 tested many times and very little injury 

 has, in most cases, followed, so that this 

 poison may be used with it if desired. 



Paris green, on the other hand, has 

 caused considerable burning in a num- 

 ber of cases, although not in all, and its 

 use, therefore, cannot be recommended. 

 Arsenite of lime is the safest and cheap- 

 est of all the forms and can safely be 

 used if made according to the following 

 improved method advocated by Prof. 

 J. P. Stewart of Pennsylvania: 



ARSENITE OP LIMB. 



To make arsenite of lime use : White 

 arsenic, two pounds ; sal soda crystals, 

 two pounds ; water, one to one and a 

 half gallons. Add the -white arsenic and 

 sal soda to the water and boil with fre- 

 quent stirring until all the arsenic is dis- 

 solved. This usually requires about fifteen 

 minutes. Then add three or four pounds 

 of good fresh lime and boil a few minutes, 

 letting the lime slake in the boiling 

 liquid. After this remove the vessel from 

 the fire and add enough water to bring 

 the total up to two gallons. Each quart 

 of this mixture, if thoroughly stirred, 

 will then contain one-fourth pound of 

 the white arsenic, or one-eighth of the 

 original two pounds. This amount is 

 ample for forty gallons spray for codling 

 moth and other biting insects ; in fact, 

 where drenching sprays are used it 

 would be better to use a little less than 

 one quart. As much of this arsenite of 

 lime as is likely to be required for the 

 summer's work may be made up at 

 one time and stored away. Care must, 

 of course, be taken to label the barrel 

 "Poison," and to see that the white 

 arsenic itself is not left where it may be 

 mistaken for some other substance. Se- 

 rious accidents have occurred from care- 

 lessness of this kind. The barrel should 

 be kept tightly covered lest the stored 

 liquid evaporate and thus render it im- 

 possible to determine the proper 



strength to use. Always stir thoroughly 

 before measuring out the quantity de- 

 sired. 



Our chemists tell us that the commer- 

 cial lime-sulphur when combined with 

 arsenate of lead breaks the latter up and 

 forms new compounds with it, one of 

 which is arsenite of lime. If this be so, 

 it is a strong argument in favor of 

 using the arsenite of lime in the first 

 place and saving the difference in cost 

 between it and arsenate of lead. Its 

 value as a poison is nearly as great as 

 that of arsenate of lead. 



(Continued on page 70) 



Low-'Headed Peach Trees 



At the last convention of the Ontario 

 Fruit Growers' Association, Mr. Wm. 

 Armstrong of Queenston, Ont., gave the 

 following reasons why a low-headed 

 peach tree is best : 



1. It will increase the annual cash 

 profit on account of a larger percentage 

 of first-class fruit. 



2. It will add at least five years to its 

 life. 



3. There will be rninimum damage on 

 account of broken limbs caused by wind, 

 snow and heavy crops. 



4. The fruit can be picked from the 

 ground, thus saving the cost of ladders 

 and labor. 



5. The damage caused by fallen fruit 

 will be light. 



6. The expenses for spraying material 

 and labor will be reduced about one- 

 third. 



"In order to have this kind of tree," 

 said Mr. Armstrong, "the peach grow- 

 er must insist on getting his baby trees 

 from the nursery rows, not the slim five 

 to six feet kind, but short, stocky ones 

 of three to four feet." 





mm 



^3»^Pj^^l|P^^^^ 







A Power Spraying Outfit in U>e in an Ontaria Orcbard 



Orchard of E. Leonard and Sona, Cobourg. The machine is an "AutoSpray,' 

 The E. 0. Brown Company, Rochester, N. Y. 



55 



manufactured by 



