248 THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE, 



top- dressing, and thoroughly cleanse the floor. Sulphur has long been considered a cure 

 for mildew. It arrests Oidium, but does not prevent the production of its " fruits." 

 Dusting tender growths and fruits with sulphur in advance of an attack of mildew 

 hinders the germination of spores producing it, but when the mildew has spread on 

 tender growths and incipient fruits no amount of sulphuring will prevent grapes 

 rusting and cracking, or peaches and other fruits having shrunken patches. Besides, 

 dusting sulphur on fruit or bunches of grapes necessitates washing before such are sent 

 to table or market. 



Sulphur as a fungicide is most potent when combined with another element. Thus 

 sulphide of potassium, \ ounce to a gallon of water, acts as a preventive and cure. 

 Similar remarks apply to bi-sulphide of calcium. Formula: flowers of sulphur, 1 pound; 

 quicklime, 1 pound. Slake the lime in a pan or copper, add the sulphur, and a gallon of 

 water. Incorporate thoroughly, heat, and boil gently for a quarter of an hour, keeping 

 constantly stirred. Allow it to settle, and when cool pour the supernatant liquid into a 

 stone bottle and keep it well corked. For use, mix a pint with 12 gallons of water, or 

 I pint to 3 gallons, spraying the trees liable to mildew before any signs of the disease 

 appear, always before the leaves are 2 inches long, continuing the spraying at fortnightly 

 intervals until the foliage is well developed, when there is little to fear from mildew. 

 Evening is the best time to apply the solution. In cases of attack act promptly with 2 

 or 3 forcible sprayings on alternate evenings. Sulphide of potassium may be applied 

 similarly. All sulphides discolour paint, but not permanently. 



Trees liable to attacks of mildew should be sprayed with the simple solution of 

 sulphate of copper, 1 pound to 25 gallons of water, when or just before the blossom buds 

 commence swelling, and the ground may be dressed at the same time with sulphate 

 of iron (page 48). A keen (aided) eye must be kept on buds bursting into leaf and 

 blossom, and at the first sign of trouble applications should begin, and be repeated 

 at intervals of 12 or 15 days, always avoiding spraying outdoor trees in blossom with 

 copper preparations on account of the bees. Where the blossoms of apple, cherry, 

 pear, plum, and strawberry are subject to mildew, they may be sprayed with 

 carbonate of copper in suspension, just before the flowers expand ; and immediately 

 the fruit is set, spray with the carbonate of copper in suspension mixture (page 241), 

 and repeat as found necessary, but the early treatment only should be practised on 

 the cherry and strawberry. Mildewed blossoms cannot set. Simple, inexpensive 

 means, promptly applied, often insure valuable crops of fruit. A solution of soft 



