35 



high. The later this spraying is done the better it would be, 

 in order that as much as possible of the plant growth may be 

 treated with the composition. For putting this on, the best 

 machine seems to be the Strawsonizer, which distributes liquids 

 finely and evenly, and takes a good breadth at once. 



It is considered that the best composition is sulphate of 

 copper, in the proportion of fifteen pounds of sulphate of copper 

 and five pounds of lime to 100 gallons of water. A small 

 quantity of molasses or treacle added to this, say two or three 

 pounds to 100 gallons of the compound, tends to make the 

 composition adhere to the leaves of the plants, and is highly 

 recommended by foreign experimentalists. The composition 

 should be put on so that, as far as possible, every part of the 

 leaves should be covered with fine spray. 



If rust seriously attacks wheat plants later on when the 

 plants are high, it might be expedient to spray them even at 

 the risk of trampling down and injuring them to some extent. 

 This spraying would be a remedial measure obviously. It has 

 been adopted in Australia, and in answer to inquiries as to this, 

 Mr. McClean, the Under Secretary for Agriculture of Queens- 

 land, was good enough to state that from experiments made 

 with the sulphate of copper and lime composition, there was 

 every reason to believe that if " rust cannot entirely be 

 destroyed, it can be held in check sufficiently long to secure 

 a good crop." Mr. McClean further said, in reply to a remark 

 as to the difficulty of spraying as a remedial measure when the 

 plants were high, that at the time the last dressing was given 

 to the experimental plots in Queensland, the plants were fully 

 three feet high, and yet comparatively little damage was done. 

 ' Even if damage were done,' Mr. McClean concludes, " would 

 it not be better to save four-fifths of the crop than to lose the 

 whole from the rust ? " 



With regard to these particular experiments, they were not 

 altogether satisfactory on account of the impossibility of proper 

 supervision, as the experimental plots were 150 and 180 miles 

 respectively distant from the offices of the Queensland Agricul- 

 tural Department at Brisbane. 



In selecting the sites for these rust experiments, spots said 

 to be "the rustiest in Queensland" were taken. The spraying 

 was made at different stages in the life of the plant, the last 

 being made after the ear had formed and the grain was in the 

 " dough " stage. 



Professor Lowrie, of South Australia, speaking of spraying 

 when the corn plants are high, says, " Of course we had the 

 machine going, and the horse treading through the growing 

 crop. That will work some mischief, but it will be compara- 

 tively small, half a bushel to the acre, probably, which is 

 very little compared with the immense loss we have from 

 rust." 



Experiments were made in 1890-1 at Childers, Gippsland, 

 Victoria, with sulphate of iron, at the rate of 6 Ibs. to 

 100 gallons of water. A plot was sprayed six times during its 



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