47 



1. Spraying. For spring and summer spraying lime- 

 sulphur is the most convenient and satisfactory substance. 

 It can be bought ready-made in drums at a moderate price, 

 and for use only needs diluting to the proper strength. In 

 purchasing, however, a guarantee should be obtained that 

 the lime-sulphur is of 1/3 specific gravity. The strength 

 usually employed is 1 gallon of lime-sulphur to 29 gallons 

 of water. When required for use, the lime-sulphur should 

 be poured slowly into the water, and after being well stirred 

 the mixture should be applied at once.* 



Three, or at least two, sprayings should be given. The 

 first, which is intended to give the bushes a fungicidal 

 covering to prevent infection, should be made about the 

 first week in April. The remaining two applications, which 

 are either preventive or have as their object the actual destruc- 

 tion of the summer stage, should be given at intervals of three 

 or four weeks. Every care should be taken to wet the leaves 

 thoroughly on both sides with the spray. If only two applica- 

 tions are given, the last of the three sprayings should be 

 omitted. 



It has been found that the following varieties of goose- 

 berries are apt to be damaged by lime-sulphur if used at the 

 strength mentioned above, and in these cases a wash of one- 

 half the usual strength should be employed: 



Berry's Early (Keepsake). 

 Cousin's Seedling. 

 Lancashire Lad. 

 Crown Bob. 



A few kinds cannot safely be sprayed with lime-sulphur 

 at all. These are chiefly the sulphur varieties, which include 

 Golden Drop (Yellow Eough). 



An objection to the use of lime-sulphur for the later 

 sprayings is that it leaves an adhesive deposit on the berries 

 and, although this is not poisonous, it detracts from the com- 

 mercial value of the fruit. This deposit may be removed by 

 mechanically rubbing the berries against each other in water, 

 or by passing them through a ' ' Gooseberry Cleaner. ' ' 



As an alternative to lime-sulphur, Messrs. Eyre and Salmon 

 recommend an ammonium polysulphide wash, especially for 

 the last, spraying.! This wash leaves no visible deposit on the 

 sprayed parts, and is, therefore, useful for application to 

 dessert varieties. The stock solution of ammonium polysul- 

 phide, which should be bought ready-made, is dilated wifh 

 water as directed so as to contain O'll per cent, of polysulphide 



* Tt should be remembered that the sulphides in the lime-sulphur and 

 ammonium polysulphide washes react with copper, hence spraying 

 machines with copper parts should never be used with these mixtures 



f See Journal, Ministry of Agriculture, Vol. XXU, Feb. 1016, 

 pp. 1118-1125; Vol. XXIII, Feb., 1917, pp. 1098-1100; Vol. XX? 

 Mar., 1919, pp. 1494-1497; Vol. XXVI, Nov. 1919, pp. 821, 822. 



