THIRTJiliXTH ANNUAL MEETING. 



93 



trees. All material applied was boiling hot when it left the 

 boiling apparatus. This formula made a rather thick mass of 

 solution and was rather expensive, so a weaker solution was 

 tried. This formula, 20 pounds lime, 20 pounds sulphur, 15 

 pounds of salt to 50 gallons of water, made a thinner solution 

 and did not make quite so thick a coat on the trees. Then 25 

 pounds of lime, 20 pounds of sulphur, and 15 pounds of salt to 

 50 gallons of water were used. This gave a mixture that 

 appeared just as good as the first formula. From the amount 

 of sulphur left undissolved in the bottom of the barrels when 

 equal amounts of sulphur and lime were used, it was evident 

 that to utilize all the material in the best possible manner more 

 lime than sulphur should be used. 



Time of cooking — At first the material was boiled at least 

 one hour before the salt was added, then at least fifteen minutes 

 more, but it w-as found that wnth a good head of steam, i. e., 

 five to forty pounds, there was no perceptible change in the 

 solution after from thirty to forty-five minutes. Neither was 

 any difference detected when the salt was added after the lime 

 and sulphur had been boiled, or when all three ingredients were 

 put into the barrels together and boiled. The conclusions were 

 that the solution should be boiled until it became a dark amber 

 color. Stirring with a hoe or other implement was found 

 necessary while the solution was boiling, because without 

 thorough stirring several times the sulphur and lime settled to 

 the bottom of the barrels and were not readily dissolved. After 

 continued boiling the solution became a ver}- dark green and 

 had a tendency to form sticky precipitate, which gave some 

 trouble in straining. 



After the solution is made it should be applied within a few 

 hours, as insoluble crystals of sulphur rapidly form in the 

 solution after standing and getting cold, and cause much trouble 

 by clogging the pumps. 



Effect of the solution on men — The writer has heard the state- 

 ment made several times that the sulphur, lime and salt solution 

 would cause sores on the hands and faces of the operators. To 

 avoid danger of this, oilskin suits with rubber gloves were used 

 by all the men. With these precautions more or less of the solu- 

 tion came in contact with the hands and faces of the men, but 

 no serious results came from it even when continued for a num- 

 ber of consecutive davs. 



