106 



told me that they had followed the manufacturer's direc- 

 tions. 



MR. MANN. I ought to make clear one point in de- 

 ciding whether it is that combination. I didn't want to con- 

 demn the soluble sulfur because the combination had done 

 the damage, and I proved to my mind that it wasn't the sul- 

 fur, but was the combination that hurt the trees. One day 

 a little later on, when the trees were in full foliage, I thought 

 I would give the hen-house a good soaking, and I had the 

 soluble sulfur handier than lime, and I made a strong solu- 

 tion, twice or three times as strong as I would put it on for a 

 winter application, and I soaked the hen-house thoroughly, 

 and then I turned the hose on to an apple tree that was right 

 handy, and it didn't hurt that any, so that it seemed to me 

 that it was the mixture, it was the combination, that did the 

 damage. It would be valuable for me, I think, if I could 

 learn to do these things right the first time. 



THE PRESIDENT. For the benefit of the audience I 

 would like to give the opinion of Dr. Boker, the chemist of 

 Brown University. He is very much interested in fruit 

 growing and fruit spraying. He states that, knowing what 

 he does of the chemical elements of arsenate of lead and 

 sulfur, he would not use the arsenate and sulfur compounds 

 on foliage. He says that sulfur has a great affinity for the 

 arsenate and will react on any arsenic compound if it is in 

 sufficient quantity. That is simply the chemical end of that 

 combination, and I think you should use your own judgment. 

 Many people are using a combination of lime-sulfur with 

 arsenate of lead with safety, and manufacturers are sending 

 out some letters showing where soluble sulfur and arsenate 

 of lead are used in safety, but I shouldn't advise any of you 

 to use those combinations unless you are pretty sure of them. 

 And bear in mind the opinion of this chemist of Brown 

 University, who stands very high in his profession. 



MR. FOSTER. Until last year I have always used self- 

 boiled lime-sulfur preparation with arsenate of lead, but last 

 year I tried some of the soluble sulfur. I had never been 

 told by anyone but what I could use arsenate of lead with it 

 just the same as I had the other preparations, and I immedi- 

 ately got into trouble, and by the time I had burned enough 

 of my apple trees, I found others had been doing the same, 



