98 The Spraying of Plants. 



of expansion of the buds, gave no evidence of beneficial 

 effects." 



Although the Department of Agriculture was taking by far 

 the most active part in advancing the cause of the treatment of 

 fungous diseases, the work was not entirely confined to it. Early 

 in 1886 there is recorded 1 an account of the Italian practice 

 of sprinkling lime upon grape foliage. The remedy consists 

 " simply of a lime wash made of 5 pounds fresh lime slaked with 

 24 gallons of water. The vines are sprinkled abundantly with 

 this wash from the middle of May to the middle of August, the 

 application- being repeated five or six times in all." 



Goif continued his experiments in the use of the hyposul- 

 phite of soda, applying it, in 1886, upon apples and pears. His 

 work of the preceding year was verified in the case of the 

 apple, but the results from pear trees were less striking, only a 

 slight difference occurring in favor of the sprayed half. The 

 material was also applied to pears for the blight, with entirely 

 negative results. 2 



During the spring of 1886, " B. F. J." wrote an account which, 

 at present, appears like a prophecy ; for it has taken scientists 

 several years to learn the fact which at that time was not 

 known to exist. The writer, after speaking of the use of a 1 per 

 cent solution of blue stone, and of a 10 per cent solution with 

 lime enough to make a thin paste, for the control of grape dis- 

 eases, reasons that the copper sulphate solutions should be ap- 

 plied to potatoes "threatened with mildew or rot. . . . But if, 

 in the event of the appearance of the Colorado beetle, Paris 

 green (arsenite of copper) extended in 50 times its bulk of fine, 

 ground land plaster be applied to potato vines as often as 

 needed to destroy the insects, old and young, it will be worth 

 the while to ascertain if mildew makes its appearance in fields 

 so treated. It is believed by the writer that little or nothing 

 will be seen of mildew or rot under such circumstances, and if, 

 after the bugs have disappeared, the Paris green and plaster are 

 continued, the vines will resist to the end." 3 



Whether the above was founded on experience or not, it does 



1 Country Gentleman, 1886, Feb. 4, 88. 



2 Ann. Rept. N. Y. Stale Agric. Exp. Sta. 1886, 1T4- 



3 Country Gentleman, 1886, May 27, 405. 



