184 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



OUR FRUIT INSTITUTES. 



fROM Mr. Creelman's report of these 

 meetings it will be seen that a new 

 and most effective line of operation 

 has been undertaken by our Association, 

 bringing- a fruit expert in close contact 

 with the fruit men in every section, and 

 coupling practical demonstrations with ver- 

 bal instructions. 



Mr. Hutt's addresses stirred up much dis- 

 cussion, and led to a considerable improve- 

 ment on the crude methods of pruning 

 commonly followed. About the middle of 

 April, Mr. George E. Fisher, Provincial 

 inspector of San Jose Scale, conducted three 

 of these meetings in Lincoln County, in the 

 orchards of A. H. Pettit, Grimsby ; Chas. 

 Purdy, St. Catharines ; and J. J. Cook, 

 St. Davids. The Demonstration Meeting 

 in the orchard occupied about two hours, 

 from 2.30 to 4.30, at which several spraying 

 mixtures were made and applied ; and in the 

 evening an address, giving details and for- 

 mulae, was given by. Mr. Fisher, who 

 answered a great number of questions to 

 everybody's satisfaction. 



THE SPRAYING MIXTURES. 



Crude Petroleum was first applied at each 

 place with a combination pump, in the pro- 

 portion of twenty-five per cent, of the oil to 

 seventy-five per cent, water. This is the 

 most effective spray known against scale 

 insects, is most simple of application, and it 

 may be applied in the finest spray imaginable. 

 It is also a remedy for aphis on the cherry 

 tree, which hatch out just before the leaf 

 buds open. Every inch of wood should be 

 covered in treating for scale, and the work 

 should be done before the buds open. The 

 cost is about $5.00 a barrel delivered in the 

 Niagara District. 



Fish Oil Emulsion. — While the crude pet- 

 roleum was being applied to the experimen- 

 tal rows of trees, Mr. Fisher prepared this 

 emulsion, with full explanations. This he 

 said is a combination of oil and potash with- 

 out saponification, which is therefore more 

 effective than any soap, and easier prepared. 

 For ten gallons of this mixture the follow- 

 ing is the formula : 5 quarts of fish oil, 

 5 pints boiling water, i^ pounds whale 

 oil soap (or even of ordinary soft soap). 

 Churn five minutes, add 2^ pounds caustic 

 potash, and enough water to make ten 

 gallons. It is expected this will prove more 

 effective than whale oil soap and is less 

 expensive, ten gallons costing only about 

 sixty cents, compared with $1.00 for the 

 soap. This is an excellent remedy for cherry 

 aphis, applied just before opening of the buds, 

 also for plum pockets, peach curl, in fact 

 a general substitute for whale oil soap. 



Lime, Sulphur and Salt. — ^While the fish 

 oil emulsion was being applied to the trees, 

 Mr. Fisher proceeded to make the lime, 

 sulphur and salt solution. The formula 

 was, lime 35 pounds, sulphur 15 pounds, 

 salt 10 pounds. Boil two hours, and apply 

 hot. The lime was slacked first, covering 

 it three or four inches deep with hot water. 

 This is applied once, just before foliage 

 opens. The trees treated were first a gol- 

 den color and then a golden white, every 

 portion from the ground up being treated. 



Kedzie Mixture. — This is a mixture of 

 white arsenic, and is more effective than 

 paris green, because the great demand for 

 the latter has caused much adulteration. 

 The formula is, 2 pounds white arsenic, 4 

 pounds of sal soda. Boil in two gallons of 

 water for fifteen minutes. This will make 

 two and a half gall4)ns of the stock solution. 



