522 TwENTY-FiEST Biennial Report 



At Clarkston they have a co-operative fruit and vegetable can- 

 nery. This boiler was used to cook the spray, so about the only 

 expense of equipment was a couple of vats and some pipe connect- 

 ions. 



The boiling vat, large enough to hold ten barrels, was placed 

 four feet above the ground in a shed at the side of the cannery. 

 It was made of 2 in. x 12 in. boards, held together with iron rods^ 

 and had a close-fitting top. 



The settling tank of the same size and made of the same ma- 

 terial was placed on the ground with the top about three inches 

 lower than the bottom of the boiling vat. A gate valve allowed 

 the spray to run into the settling tank as soon as cooked. This set- 

 tling tank was on a hillside, steep enough that while the upper end 

 rested on the ground just below the boiling tank, the lower end 

 was high enough to siphon the spray into barrels. 



In the boiling tank, about six inches from the sides and the 

 same distance from the bottom, was placed a one-inch steam pipe. 

 This extended completely around the inside of the vat and con- 

 ileeted with the boiler. Every sis inches one-eighth inch holes 

 were drilled in the pipe. The force of the steam through these 

 holes rotated the mixture so thoroughly that no other agitation 

 was necessary. 



The formula used was 100 pounds of lime, 200 pounds of sul- 

 phur and enough water to make 100 gallons of spray. Only the 

 best grade of lime and flowers of sulphur were used. The lime 

 was slacked in a box just above the boiling tank, and while slack- 

 ing, as much sulphur added as it would dissolve. The rest of the 

 sulphur was made into a thin paste so there would be no lumps, 

 and the whole flushed into the vat. Then enough water was added 

 to make the required amount of mixture. The time of cooking was 

 reckoned from the time the mixture actually began to boil. If a 

 full head of steam was turned on it could be cooked in thirty 

 minutes, but a better spray was obtained by boiling at a lower 

 temperature for an hour. 



Sulphur costs $2.25 per 100 jpounds and lime $1.80 per barrel 

 of 200 pounds. The spray tested 25 to 28 degrees Beaume and 

 was furnished to the growers at $4.75 to $5.50 per barrel, depend- 

 ing on the test. The price was based, as it should be, on the strength 

 of the solution. 



No doubt the manufacturer of commercial spray will tell us 

 it cannot be put out for that price. That .may be, but the manager 

 told me he had had a successful season and I know the plant was- 

 operated on the same plan the next year. I was also informed by 



