The Canadian HoRTicuinuRisr 109 



IS sl•kA^■l^■(; irlti i ri:i:s wnii arsenical poisons a 

 i)axgi:rol's rraciice? 



A\lN("i received several eiKiuiries from correspondents con- 

 cerning the foolish and inaccurate statements made upon 

 the above subject, which you refer to on page 83 of your 

 last issue, I therefore beg a little space to submit facts, 

 which, although well known to many of your readers, may- 

 be reassuring to others. In the first place, spraying with arsenites, through the 

 energy and perseverance of Miss Eleanor Ormerod, the Entomologist of the 

 Royal Agricultural Society of England, is now almost as much practiced in Great 

 Britain as it is in this country. It is true that il was only introduced as a prac- 

 tical method two years ago, but through the skill of the introducer, and following 

 the publication and distribution of .the report of a special committee, composed 

 of leading fruit growers, and known as the " Experimental Committee of Ever- 

 ham Eruit Growers," spraying with Paris green is now largely adopted in many 

 parts of the British Isles, as the best means of keeping down the ravaging hordes 

 of caterpillars which were rendering futile the labors of the fruit grower through- 

 out many of the most fertile counties of p:ngland. The value of spraying with 

 Paris green is now tuUy recognized in l^ngland, and never will be given up 

 again for the old methods. As to the possibility of any danger resulting from 

 the consumption of sprayed fruit, I can onl\- say that the entomologists have, 

 ' with the scientific aid of their colleagues, the chemists, shown over and over 

 again that no danger whatever exist-s, if only the directions of experienced advi- 

 sers are carried out. At the meeting of the Dairymen's Association of ^\'estern 

 Ontario, held at Brantford on the 15th of January last, this subject came up, and 

 the absurdity was pointed out of such ideas as you have referred to as published 

 by your English contemporary. As soon as I returned to Ottawa I endeavored 

 to obtain apples which had been undoubtedly sprayed in accordance with the 

 instructions given by entomologists, and at last, through your own kindness, suc- 

 ceeded. These, upon receipt, were kindly taken in hand at once by Mr. E. T. 

 Shutt, Chemist to the Dominion Experimental Farm, and analysed with the 

 greatest care. I send you herewith for publication, his report, which, I feel 

 sure, coming from so high an authority, will be of interest to all fruit growers. 



Further, in addition to the above, I may perhaps be allowed to give two 

 extracts from my own report to the Hon. Minister of Agriculture for 1887, p. 21 : 



"Frequent erKjuiries are made, and occasionally mis-statements appear, as to the 

 possible danger of poisoning the consumers of fruit and crops protected with these arsenical 

 poisons, which, it is urged, may be absorbed by the plants. These statements are, how- 

 ever, quite inaccurate, as a very elementary knowledge of vegetable pliysiology will show. 

 It is suggested that the a])ple when treated for the Codling Moth, may absorb the poison 

 through the stigma. With regard to this statement, it should be remembered that the 

 stigma of a Hower is without any epidermis and is exceedingly delicate, so that any corro- 

 sive poi.son like arsenic, in even a very weak solution, would be much more likely to injure 



