TESTING SULPHUR WASHES ACROSS THE LINE 



PHUF. LOCHKEAD, O. A. C, GUELPH. 



MiCSSRS. Parrott and Sirrine, of the 

 Geneva Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, made three experiments in three 

 different orchards to determine the effect of 

 fall applications of various sulphur washes 

 upon fruit and leaf buds, and the compara- 

 tive values of these sprays for the San Jose 

 scale treatment. The results obtained in 

 these orchards were not alike and showed 

 considerable variation in the effect of the 

 treatment upon leaf and fruit buds. 



In orchard Xo. i the average loss of blos- 

 soius on the peaches was "ji per cent., on 

 the plums about 83 per cent. The loss of 

 leaves on the peaches was about 68 per cent., 

 and on the plums about 58 per cent. In 

 orchard No. 2 the plum blossoms were re- 

 duced by 10 to 50 per cent., with slight 

 edgery of the foliage. In orchard No. 3 

 the sprayed trees were unaffected by treat- 

 ment, and, in fact, they showed increased 

 vigor. 



THK WASIIKS WliRt; EFFECTIVE. 



With regard to the relative effectiveness 

 of the different washes it may be said that 

 all the washes tested proved effective. 

 The experimenters make the statement that 

 " the washes which are well suited to the 

 needs of the average orchardist are the 

 lime-sul])hur wash, boiled bv fire or bv 



steam, and the lime-sulphur salsoda wash, 

 prepared without external heat." It would 

 appear, therefore, that further experiments 

 are necessary to prove definitely whether 

 fall spraying is likely to be followed by in- 

 jury to the trees. It may be aaded that in 

 some experiments carried out by one of our 

 (Ontario fruit growers in the Niagara dis- 

 trict the autumn spraymg was decidedly in- 

 jurious, not only to the blossoms and leaves, 

 but to the limbs. 



The Entomologist of the Coiinecticut Ex- 

 periment Station, Mr. Britton, reports that 

 he sprayed 800 trees in December as an ex- 

 periment ; and as a result of this experiment 

 he is able to state that fall or eariy winter 

 spraying gives good results. Both boiled 

 and unboiled mixtures are used. He also 

 states that the boiled mixture of lime and 

 sulphur, using as much or a little more lime 

 than sulphur is probably as effective and as 

 inexpensive as any mixture for the ordinary 

 orchard work. Of the mixtures made 

 without boiling he finds that the potassium 

 sulphide and lime is an excellent one for a 

 few small trees and shrubs, but is rather ex- 

 pensive for spraying large" trees, and that 

 the lime-sulphur and sodium sulphide mix- 

 ture is a promising one, worthy of further 

 trial, and o"ivine" sfood results 



DISEASES OF PLANTS AND TREES 



FRANCIS WAYLAND GI.EN, 



AR1\ trees and plants subject to the at- 

 tack of malignant, contagious, epi- 

 demic diseases similar to such as cause the 

 death in large numbers of men, women and 

 children ? Aly answer is : A'^es, and I will 

 give one of many facts I have learned from 

 personal contact with trees and plants wdien 

 attacked by such diseases. Between 1852 

 and 1858 cholera was prevalent in a certain 

 section of Rochester, N. Y. The neio-hbor- 



hood was badly drained and otherwise in an 

 unsanitary condition, and the people used 

 stimulants freely. As many as 50 persons 

 died in a short time. 



The same year we had a block of pear 

 trees budded on Anglers quince stocks 

 which we imported from Paris. They were 

 very strong and vigorous. The land upon 

 which we planted them was low, and the 

 soil composed chiefi\- of decayed vegetable 



