- 363 ~ 



check, as on account of the very tender nature of the leaves, 

 Bordeaux mixture cannot be applied. 



Dr. W. M. Scott, of the U. S. Dept. of Agric., has found that a 

 fungicide, known as " self-boiled lime-sulphur mixture, " can be 

 used on peach foliage without injury. The proportions for a mixture 

 ready for use are : 8 Ibs. lime, 8 Ibs. sulphur, 50 gallons of water. 

 The following is the method of preparation : 



The mixture can best be prepared in rather large quantities 

 say 20 pounds, or even 40 pounds, at a time so as to get enough 

 heat to produce a violent boiling for a few minutes. Place 

 the lime in a barrel and pour on enough water (about 3 gallons 

 to 20 pounds) to start it slaking and to keep the sulphur off the 

 bottom of the barrel. Then add the sulphur, which should first 

 be worked through a sieve to break up the lumps, and finally 

 enough water to slake the lime into a paste. Considerable stirring 

 is necessary to prevent caking on the bottom. After the violent 

 boiling which accompanies the slaking of the lime is over, the 

 mixture should he diluted ready for spraying, and at least enough 

 cold water added to stop the cooking. Five to fifteen minutes are 

 required for the process, according to whether the lime is quick- 

 acting or sluggish. The intense heat seems to break up particles 

 of sulphur into about the physical condition of precipitated sulphur, 

 and the violent boiling makes a good mechanical mixture of the 

 lime and sulphur. Only a small percentage of the sulphur enough 

 to improve the adhesiveness of the mixture goes into solution, 

 but if the hot mass is allowed to stand as a thick paste the sulphur 

 continues to unite with the lime, and at the end of thirty or forty 

 minutes enough of the reddish liquid is produced to burn peach 

 foliage, and even apple foliage in some cases. Hence the necessity 

 for cooling the mixture as soon as the lime is well slaked. The 

 finely divided sulphur in mechanical mixture with the lime is 

 depended upon for the fungicidal action rather than the sulphides 

 in solution, the latter being harmful to foliage except in very 

 dilute form. 



The mixture should be strained through a sieve of 20 meshes 

 to the inch (25,4 m/m) in order to remove the coarse particles of 

 lime, but all the sulphur should be worked through the strainer. 



The amount of water required to make the best mixture depends 

 largely upon the lime. Some grades of lime respond quickly and 

 take a large quantity of water, while others heat slowly and are 

 easily " drowned " if too much water is added at once. Hot water 



