208 MAIXIC AGRICULTURAL KXT'lCRIMKNT STATION. I903. 



SUGGESTIONS RKGARDING INSECTICIDES. 



ARSENICAL AND NON-ARSKNICAL POISONS. 



Paris green is the standard poison containing arsenic. There 

 are many brands in the market, none of which, according to our 

 experience, are deficient in arsenic. As some brands contain 

 uncombined arsenious acid, freshly slaked linic should always be 

 applied with the Paris green unless it is used with Bordeaux 

 mixture. Arsenate of lead is more expensive than Paris green, 

 but adheres better to foliage. Four pounds of arsenate of lead 

 carries about the same amount of arsenic as one pound of Paris 

 green. 



Full directions for using Paris green and arsenate of lead for 

 potatoes or orchards will be sent upon application to the Station. 



There are a number of insecticides on the market, such ar 

 Black Death, Dead Shot, English Bug Compound, Hammond's 

 Slug Shot, Kno-bug and Quick Death, that depend upon arsenic 

 for their value as insecticides. These consist chiefly of Paris 

 green (2 to 4 per cent) mixed with plaster, coal dust, or some 

 other "filler," and for practical purposes may be regarded as 

 badly adulterated Paris green. Their cost per pound is consider- 

 ably less than that of a pure Paris green, but the poison they carry 

 costs the consumer from 5 to 10 times as much as it would if he 

 were to buy a good green and mix it wnth the inert materials. 

 \Miile these goods are seldom labelled "Poison" they are, never- 

 theless, poisonous and should be handled as carefully as Paris 

 green and kept out of the way of children and animals. 



Bug Death is the only poison in at all common use which does 

 not carrv arsenic. It consists chiefly of oxide of zinc, and is a 

 much less dangerous and active poison than any that carry 

 arsenic. It requires from 35 to 50 pounds of Bug Death to do 

 the w^ork of one pound of Paris green. Its cost per pound is 

 about one-third that of Paris green. 



Bulletin 87 of the Maine Experiment Station, which discusses 

 these insecticides at considerable length, will be sent free to any 

 resident of Maine on application. 



July, 1903. 



