Division of Horticulture. 



SAMUEL T. MAYNARD. 



The work of this division for tlie year of 1892 has been, 

 largel}', tlie comparative tests of new varieties of fruits, the combat- 

 ting fungous diseases and the use of fungicides and insecticides 

 combined. 



The season was, as a whole, less favorable for the growth of fun- 

 gous diseases than that of 1891, but enough of nearly all the most 

 destructive species were found for full experiment and all insect life 

 seemed more than usually abundant. 



The fungicides used and found most satisfactory, were the copper 

 salts, sulphate and carbonate of copper, the Bordeaux mixture prov- 

 ing much safer and more effectual than any other. 



Many patented or compounded fungicides put upon the market 

 with large claims for their value have been tried but none of them 

 have proved as effectual as the copper solutions, while some of them 

 were of no value whatever. 



The following are the fungicides found most effective : 



Bordeaux Mixture. Formida, 6 lbs. Copper Sulphate (Blue Vitriol), 

 Caustic Lime (Unslacked Lime) 4 lbs. Dissolve the copper sulphate 

 in three or four gallons of water. (The best way to do this is to 

 suspend it, in a coarse sack or basket, in the water where it will dis- 

 solve in from 1 to 2 hours.) 



The Lime is slaked in another tub or vessel with water enough to 

 make a thin lime- wash (or white wash). When the liquids are cool, 

 pour into one cask, thoroughly mixing, and dilute to make 50 gal- 

 lons of liquid. Before putting into the pumps strain through a fine 

 strainer or sieve. 



If a large quantity is to be used, 25 lbs. or more of the copper sul- 

 phate may be dissolved at once and the proper quantity taken out as 

 needed. 



