February, 1909 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



27 



I 



ed that there is sufficient to warrant a 

 continuance of the practice, and to make 

 one lay down the principles that, as far 

 as Glenleven Farm is concerned, spray- 

 ing will have its proper place in the 

 uture. 



Commercial Lime-Sulphur Solution 



H. A. Surface, Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, Pa. 



T' 



Low- Heading of Trees 



Editor, The Canadian Horticultur- 

 ist: — In a recent issue, you invited the 

 opinions of growers on the low-heading 

 of trees. In my opinion low-heading is 

 the only proper method. An orchard of 

 trees with branchless trunks, six or 

 seven feet high, is unsightly to begin 

 with. 



The low-down heads usually grow 

 more symmetrical, the fruit is easier to 

 s,'ather, spraying can be done better, the 

 wind does not affect the tree so much, 

 there is less breaking at the crutches, 

 pruning is more easily done, there is less 

 sun-scald of the trunks, and less useless 

 wood to be supported by the tree. 



The sole advantage of high headed 

 trees — convenience in cultivating among 

 them — is becoming of little importance, 

 owing to the introduction of machinery 

 specially adapted to the purpose. — W, J. 

 Kerr, Ottawa. 



Many excellent varieties of apples can 

 be grown in the home orchard that the 

 rommercial apple man would not think 

 of growing. 



As the currant is one of our hardiest 

 and most productive of fruits, it is often 

 neglected. If you want to make the 

 best of the bushes, treat them accord- 

 ingly. 



'HIS year marks an epoch in the San 

 Jose scale warfare by the appear- 

 ance of a reliable commercial in- 

 secticide which can be used at any 

 strength with absolute safety on any kind 

 of tree or bush and with the knowledge 

 that it will destroy the pests if applied 

 thoroughly and strong enough. This 

 material is nothing 1 ore nor less than 

 lime-sulphur wash, made on a commer- 

 cial basis, in a concentrated form, and 

 prepared ready to ship in barrels or other 

 vessels to the consumers as ordered. 



To a person who wishes to use but a 

 comparatively small quantity and not go 

 to the trouble of building a fire under a 

 kettle to make his own boiling mixtures, 

 the prepared or commercial lime-sulphur 

 wash will be most satisfactory and a 

 boon. It has come as a response to the 

 demands of our fruit growers, rather 

 than being forced upon them by agents 

 and manufacturers. It will destroy not 

 only the San Jose scale, but other insects 

 with which it comes in contact, such as 

 the eggs of the tent-caterpillar and the 

 canker worm, the larvae of the codling 

 moth in their winter retreats, the bud 

 moth, plant lice eggs, and other pests 

 that are to be found upon the trees dur- 

 ing the winter time. It is also a fungi- 

 cide, as is the home-made lime-sulphur 

 wash, and one thorough spraying of 

 peach trees with it during the dormant 

 season is enough to prevent the destruc- 

 tive effects of peach leaf curl in that or- 

 chard during the entire next summer. 



•Extracts from a bulletin of the division 'of zoology of 

 Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. 



Two Power Ootfits Used for Spraying for San Jote Scale 



This cut and the one on page 26 were Iclndly loaned by the Niagara Sprayer Co. of Mlddleport, N.Y. 



While it is not quite as cheap, in re- 

 gard to the cost of material, as the home- 

 made wash, yet it is much less expensive 

 than the other commercial insecticides 

 on the market, particularly the various 

 brands of soluble oils. Of course, it is 

 easy for any fruit grower to learn just 

 what his raw material costs him and 

 compute the value of his time, fuel and 

 apparatus in making the home-made 

 lime-sulphur wash and compare this with 

 the cost of the commercial lime-sulphur 

 wash, plus the freight delivered at his 

 station. 



In general, a fifty-gallon batch of the 

 home boiled lime-sulphur wash ready for 

 use costs about one cent per gallon for 

 ingredients alone, and the commercial 

 lime-sulphur wash when dilute costs 

 about two and a half times this much, or 

 two and one-half cents per gallon. We 

 have used it satisfactorily at a strength 

 of one to eight, or one part of the com- 

 mercial material diluted with eight parts 

 of hot water, and we believe that it 

 might give good results when used one 

 to ten, but would not recommend it 

 weaker than that without first giving it 

 careful trial to be sure that the weaker 

 degree of dilution would not impair its 

 quality in the destruction of the scale. 



Like the home boiled lime-sulphur 

 wash, the commercial material can be 

 used upon any kind of tree, shrub or 

 bush, and in any quantity or percentage, 

 without injury to the tree. The only 

 question is to use it strong enough to kill 

 the scale and to use it so thoroughly as 

 to do thorough work. It does not crys- 

 tallize in the 

 barrels, contains 

 almost no sedi- 

 ment, does not 

 need to be 

 strained, and 

 will keep for any 

 length of time, 

 even for months, 

 and not be in- 

 jured by changes 

 of temperature. 

 We regard the 

 advent of the 

 commercial lime- 

 sulphur wash as 

 the greatest 

 justification and 

 verification that 

 has been given 

 to the faithful 

 ndherents to the 

 home boiled 

 lime - sul p h u r 

 wash as the 

 standard insect- 

 icide for scale 

 insects. While 

 our prediction 



