Early History of Liquid Applications. 17 



fruit, as soon as danger is apprehended, with a coating of thin 

 lime wash, considerably more dilute than the mixture em- 

 ployed in white-washing." 



The use of quassia chips was adopted in America soon after 

 hellebore became known. In 1855 the material was recom- 

 mended as a remedy for aphis, being prepared by boiling 



Quassia chips 1 pound. 



Water 8 gallons. 



The liquid was boiled until the decoction had been reduced 

 to six gallons. 1 



An interesting article by W. F. Radclyffe appeared in one 

 of the English journals 2 in 1861. The writer, knowing the 

 value of copper sulphate when used upon smutty seed-wheat, 

 reasoned that the rose mildew, being also a fungous trouble, 

 should likewise yield to treatment by this chemical. He there- 

 fore applied a solution of two ounces of blue vitriol dissolved in 

 a " stable bucket " of water to live plants by means of a fine 

 spout, and entirely freed his plants from the disease. The 

 statement was also made that weaker solutions would be tried 

 the following year. A few weeks later a note appeared in the 

 same journal which warned growers against the use of the sul- 

 phate of copper, as it would kill roses if it came in contact with 

 their roots. No further mention of the remedy was made, and 

 even the following year brought no account of any experiments 

 made by Radclyffe. What millions might have been saved 

 had this important work been carried only a little further ! 

 But the old remedies continued to be used until about 1870 ; 

 insects and fungi were treated practically the same in Europe 

 and in America, and changes of only minor importance were 

 made. 



The Americans profited very largely from the experience of 

 European gardeners, but a few new methods of treatment also 

 arose in this country. It could not be otherwise, for different 

 enemies had to be dealt with, and these required different treat- 

 ments. But these variations were comparatively slight, and 

 the remedies used in the first half of the century were more or 

 less common as late as 1880. Sulphur in some form was every- 



1 Michigan Farmer. Cited in Country Gentleman, 1855, April 12, 235. 

 * Gard. Chron. 1861, Nov. 2, 967. 

 C 



