CROP PEST COMMISSION OF 



The lime-sulphur wash is destructive to such insects as tlu? 

 cherry scale and Putnam's scale, which occur in greater or less 

 numbers in almost every orchard, and it undoubtedly kills a 

 great many of the younger peach tree borers. It is also a power- 

 ful disinfectant and destroys the spores of the peach leaf-curl 

 disease and of other fungi which do more or less injury and re- 

 tard the proper development of both trees and fruit. Its bene- 

 ficial work in destroying these various insects and fungi more 

 than repays its cost, independently of its effect upon the San 

 Jose scale. As a result, infested orchards properly sprayed with 

 the lime-sulphur are often in better condition, and produce more 

 and better fruit, than orchards which are not infested with scale 

 and whi'ch are not treated with this wash. Mr. J. H. Hale, one of 

 the most extensive and successful peach growers in the' United 

 States, has used this preparation for several years past in his 

 orchards of several hundred acres at Ft. Valley, Ga., and is en- 

 thusiastic over the results obtained by its use, both in- its effect 

 upon the San Jose scale and in its effect in peeping the trees 

 in much cleaner and healthier condition generally than they 

 otherwise would be. 



How TO SPRAY AND SPRAYING APPARATUS NEEDED. 



In spraying an infested tree the object should be to place 

 an even, uniform coating of the wash over every particle of bark 

 that is above ground. Peach orchards should be pruned before 

 spraying rather than afterwards as the pruning lessens the area 

 upon each tree to be covered with the spray and also leaves 

 the balance of the tree more accessible to the operator. With 

 the lime-sulphur mixture a Vermorel or Mistry nozzle is pre- 

 ferable to any other and it should have a medium-sized aperture 

 through which the spray is discharged. A nozzle with too large 

 an opening results in a waste of the spraying material, while 

 one with too small an aperture is usually responsible either for 

 lost time or the application of an insufficient amount of the 

 mixture. In spraying a tree the spray should first be directed 

 against the uppermost and outermost tips of the twigs and these 

 followed down to the trunk, moving the nozzle slowly to secure 

 a uniform and even distribution of the spray on every bud and 

 particle of surface. After all the twigs and limbs have been 



