ORCHARD SPRAYING e;xPi;RIMENTS. 73 



Directions for Making Lime-Sulphur Solutions. 



The materials necessary for making these sprays are a good 

 stone Hme, free from grit or dirt, testing not less than 90 per 

 cent calcium oxide and not more than 5 per cent magnesium 

 oxide, and sulphur. Sulphur may be in the form of flowers of 

 sulphur or sulphur flour. 



Self -Boiled Litne Sulphur.'^ 



Use 10 pounds sulphur and 10 pounds of good stone lime to 

 50 gallons of water.** These quantities may be increased to 

 any desired amount provided the proportions are maintained. 



"Place the lime in a barrel and pour on enough water (about 

 3 gallons to 20 pounds) to start it slaking and to keep the sul- 

 phur off the bottom of the barrel. Then add the sulphur which 

 should be worked through a sieve to break up the lumps and 

 finally enough water to slake the lime into a paste. Consider- 

 able stirring is necessary to prevent caking on the bottom. Af- 

 ter the violent boiling which accompanies the slaking of the lime 

 is over the mixture should be diluted ready for spraying, or at 

 least enough cold water added to stop the cooking. Five to 15 

 minutes are required, according to whether the lime is quick 

 acting or sluggish. The intense heat seems to break up the par- 

 ticles of sulphur into about the physical condition of precipi- 

 tated sulphur and the violent boiling makes a good mechanical 

 mixture of the lime and sulphur. Only a small percentage of 

 the sulphur — enough to improve the adhesiveness of the mix- 

 ture — goes into solution, but if the hot mass is allowed to stand 

 as a thick paste the. sulphur continues to unite with the lime and 

 at the end of 30 to 40 minutes enough of the reddish liquid is 

 produced to burn peach foliage and even apple foliage in some 

 cases. * * * 



The mixture should be strained through a sieve of 20 meshes 

 to the inch in order to remove the coarse particles of lime, but 

 all the sulphur should; be worked through the strainer. 



The amount of water required to make the best mixture de- 



* Adapted irom the several publications of W. M. Scott, Bureau of 

 Plant Industry, U. S. D. A. 



** An 8-8-50 formula is recommended by Scott in his latest report on 

 peaches. 10-10-50 is doubtless none too strong for the apple. 



