The Canadian Horticultun^ 



Vol. XXX 



MARCH, 1907 



No. 3 



Spraying Solutions and Hoav TKey Are Made 



SPRAYING is a means to an end. 

 In fruit growing, the end in view 

 is to produce in quantity a grade 

 of fruit that approaches as near as pos- 

 sible the ideal looked for in the particu- 

 lar variety or varieties grown. Spray- 

 ing helps the grower to do this. It in- 

 creases the percentage of high-grade 

 fruit by holding within bounds the 

 ravages of insect and fungous enemies. 

 The practical value of spraying be- 

 comes more and more evident as the 

 seasons go by. Insects and fungi are 

 becoming numerous and are constantly 

 changing their habits from one class of 

 plants to another. To combat them 

 successfully, the work of applying spray- 

 ing mixtures must be done thoroughly 

 and at the proper time. Every portion 

 of the leaf and branch must be covered 

 with the spray. The nature of the 

 mixture that should be used depends 

 upon the kind of insect or fungus to be 

 combatted, and upon the season of the 

 year. For the benefit of the readers of 

 The Canadian Horticulturist some 

 practical fruit growers have contributed 

 letters on the preparation and handling 

 of some of these mixtures. 



MAKING LIME-SULPHUR WASH 



"We hear so much these days of 

 different methods of makinglime-sulphur 

 wash," writes Mr. M. G. Bruner, of 

 Olinda, Ont., "that it may be of interest 

 to observe my method, which is as fol- 

 lows: I cook the mixture with a steam 

 Tboiler, a small one of six horse-power. 

 The first thing I do is to start a fire in 

 the boiler. While the water is heating 

 I weigh out 15 pounds of sulphur, 

 which I sift so that there will not be any 

 lumps put into the barrel. I also 

 weigh out 25 pounds of Ume and get it 

 ready. I mix the sulphur with boihng 

 water to a thin paste; when adding the 

 sulphur to this water. I stir continually 

 so as not to form any lumps, as they will 

 not break up in the cooking. 



"In the barrel that is to be used for 

 the cooking, I place 10 or 12 gallons of 

 liot water. There should be at least 60 

 pounds of steam in the boiler). Then I 

 put the sulphur paste in the barrel and 

 afterwards the lime. The best stone 

 lime must be used. In a minute or less 

 the lime will begin to slake. The mix- 

 ture must then be stirred continually 

 •so as to prevent it from sticking to the 



bottom of the barrel. A little cold 

 water should be poured in occasionally 

 to keep the lime from boiling over the 

 top. When slaking has stopped, turn 

 on the steam from the boiler. Apply as 

 much steam as can be used without 

 causing the mixture to boil over. Con 

 tinue to boil for an hour at least. Do 

 not stop until the sulphur is all melted. 

 "When the cooking is completed, the 

 barrel will be half full or a little more; 

 i.e., if a 45 gallon barrel is used. Fill 

 it up with hot water. Strain the whole 

 through cheese cloth spread over a fine 

 wire strainer. The mixture is strained 



EacK Number the Best 



The improvement in The Hor- 

 ticulturist within a year is mark- 

 ed, and each number as issued ap- 

 pears to be better than the pre- 

 ceding ones. This improvement 

 is acknowledged by everyone 

 here qualified to express an opin- 

 ion on it. The column of ques- 

 tions and answers, the experience 

 column, is a valuable one, and 

 will, I hope, increase in length 

 and interest from month to month. 

 — J. Cavers, Sec'y Oakville Hort'l 

 Society, Oakville, Ont. 



into the spray tank, and is then used on 

 the trees. 



"The foregoing description applies 

 when a hand pump is used. My boiler 

 will cook enough at one time to fill my 

 power spray tank, which holds 160 

 gallons, imperial measure. 



"I have tried caustic soda, kerosene 

 emulsion and various patent or miscible 

 oils, but none of these are as effec- 

 tive as the lime-sulphur wash when 

 properly prepared and appUed. I have 

 not yet tried all the soluble oils. It 

 would he a great boon to fruit growers 

 if thcv could get a mixture that would be 

 as effective as the Hrae sulphur wash 

 and easier to prepare and applv." 



The following letter on the Ume 

 sulphur wash was received from Mr. 

 J. W. vSmith, of Winona, Ont., the 

 owner of one ofthe largest peach orchards 

 in Canada, and a man who has had much 

 experience with spray mixtures: "Use 

 \7}4 pounds sulphur, 35 pounds lime to 



40 gallons of water. Have good, fresh, 

 unslacked lime. Put the sulphur in 

 boihng water and mix to a paste, then 

 put the Ume in the boiUng tub, and 

 cover it with boihng water three or four 

 inches; then, as quickly as possible, 

 throw in the sulphur paste with the 

 slacking lime, and cover it until it begins 

 to stop boiling, then turn on all the 

 steam and stir occasionally; let it boil 

 45 minutes. We prefer boiling by steam 

 as it is the cheapest and quickest way. 

 The sooner you can get the wash on the 

 trees the better as it goes through the 

 noz/^les much more satisfactorily hot 

 than cold ; always spray with the wind, 

 and be sure you spray everv twig. We 

 have a large vat of boiling water always 

 on hand a Httle elevated so that all we 

 have to do is to turn on the tap and let 

 it run into the boiling tubs. We would 

 not recommend boiling this mixture with 

 its own heat." 



Interesting information is contained 

 in a letter from Mr. W. A. Hunsberry, 

 Jordan Station, Ont., as follows: 



"The lime-sulphur wash is one of the 

 best mixtures we have. I have used it 

 for six or seven years and have found it 

 a benefit not only in preventing the scale 

 from attacking fruit trees and as a 

 means of destroying scale, but also in 

 cleaning the bark and making it smooth 

 and fresh. If we strengthen the bark 

 we will have a healthy tree, and will get 

 a larger percentage of first-class fruit. 

 I have noticed also that the smoother 

 we keep the bark the less we are bothered 

 with insects. The rougher the bark the 

 more hiding places for the insects, and 

 the grower cannot get at them so easily ; 

 therefore use the lime-sulphur mixture. 

 It will pay for all trouble and expense. 



"The mixture should be boiled thor- 

 oughly. It will work better in the spray 

 pump and spread more evenly on the 

 trees. Some growers in this locality 

 have used caustic soda. But I do not 

 think that it gives as good results as 

 when the mixture is boiled. The more 

 soluble you get the two ingredients mixed 

 the better it will spread (jn the trees and 

 work in the sprayer. It should be 

 boiled for one hour and a half." 



Regarding the question of treating 

 the San Jose scale, Mr. Robert Thomp- 

 son, of St. Catharines, Ont., wrote: 



' ' First, get rid of all useless and un- 

 profitable trees and varieties, then 



