EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 69 



derfiilly varied condition of results from it ; some have been 

 good, others have been poor; it has not been at all uniform 

 in its results. 



Prof. Craig : You arc now referring to home-made mis- 

 cible oil. Has it been uniform in its manufacture? 



Prof. Surfaci-:: That may have been the difficulty, and 

 for that very reason I do not feel we can recommend it to our 

 people, although they may not always have unsatisfactorv re- 

 sults, either for one cause or another, there is always a liability 

 of failure. One of the best commercial oils on the market is 

 "Scalecide," but at the same time I can tell you where there 

 are three orchards, which either myself or my men have ex- 

 amined, that have been injured by the use of oil spray, and 

 yet, as I say, a person getting good results may go on using it ; 

 but let him know that there is a possibility of a barrel occa- 

 sionally producing injury to the tree. Let him know that there 

 is apt to be on the top of the spray . mixture in the tank a 

 thin liquid oil that is much more likely to penetrate the bark 

 than is the regular oil. On peaches and plums I do not be- 

 lieve that oils of any kind can safely be used ; and yet I be- 

 lieve they can be used, with proper discretion, unless there 

 is some unusual condition found, in the case of pears and pos- 

 sibly apples. 



From the unsatisfactory results obtained in so many cases 

 where the home-made oils have been used, I do not think we 

 can recommend them. 



My remarks must not be applied equally to all oils. I 

 think I am riglit in giving a word of caution against the use 

 of oil on peach and plum trees, while it may be perfectly safe 

 on apples and pears. The lime and sulphur wash is a fun- 

 gicide as well as a scale destroyer. One spraying with it at 

 this time of year will prevent peach leaf curl. 



Mr. Pratt (of the B. G. Pratt Co., New York City) : I 

 think, in view of what has been said in regard to "Scalecide," 

 that I ought to say a word at this point. T don't believe it is 

 possible — and I say so with all candor and freedom and after 

 a great many years of experience — to injure in any way a tree 



