80 THE SCALE INSECT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE 



" Place the full amount of lime in the kettle or vat, or what- 

 ever the receptacle may be, and start it to slake with hot water, 

 using enough to prevent the lime from being air slaked, but 

 not enough to drown it. During the slaking process add the 

 sulphur, all lumjDS having been first jjulverized, and the salt ; 

 stir both of them in thoroughly, and add water gradually to 

 reduce the mixture to a thin j)^ste. If the mixture is not 

 already boiling, bring it to this j)oint and allow it to boil for 

 one hour. If the wash is prepared in an iron kettle it will be 

 necessary to add a bucket of water now and then to replace 

 that lost in the boiling jjrocess, and to stir the mixture fre- 

 quently to prevent burning and caking of materials upon the 

 sides of the vessel. After one hour's boiling enough hot water 

 should be added to make the required amount of mixture, or if 

 cold water is used the proper proportion should be added and 

 the wash again brought to the boiling point. The wash is now 

 ready for use. It should then be emptied into the spraying 

 barrel, being strained through common wire screening, and if 

 possible aj)plied while hot to the trees. 



"To prepare the wash satisfactorily it is necessary to have a^^ 

 suitable outfit. In making plans for such, one should remem- 

 ber that the kind of plant, with reference to the use of kettle or 

 steam to prepare the wash, location in regard to an abundant 

 supply of water, and the number of handy contrivances for 

 handling water and the wash, have much to do with the ease 

 and cost with which this spray can be made and applied. If 

 possible, use steam to prej)are the wash. The outlay for a suit- 

 able plant need not be large, especially if the brchardist pos- 

 sesses mechanical ingenuity, for by using parts of old spraying 

 apparatus and second-hand machinery, one may provide a very 

 satisfactory outfit with comparatively little expense. The fol- 

 lowing brief descrijDtions will serve as a guide for the erection 

 of an outfit adapted to individual circumstances. 



" Two iron caldrons of sixty gallons capacity will make an 

 outfit at a small outlay. It is not the most convenient arrange- 

 ment but will answer very well the purpose of the owner of a 

 small orchard, who would hardly find it profitable to erect a 

 more elaborate plant. With such an outfit one can prepare in a 

 day from three to four hundred gallons of wash, which will be 

 sufficient to treat about two hundred and fifty trees of the size 

 of seven-year old peach trees, employing one man to prepare 



