112 THE ROMANCE OF EVERIFARM 



They are going to give you fellows a bath of poi- 

 soned water to keep you healthy. I heard him say 

 that the other spray he gave you, before you opened, 

 was lime-sulphur 1 to 10 strength, to control the San 

 Jose scale and other parasites, but that since you 

 boys were out now, they would use it 1^/2 to 50 

 strength, a much weaker solution, but would add 

 the arsenate of lead to kill the chewing insects that 

 will injure you later on." 



"I wonder if it will hurt," questioned little Baby 

 Blossom, who had barely survived the cold. 



"Not if it isn't too strong," said Bluey. "If it is 

 too strong, it will kill the buds and also turn the 

 leaves brown, but I think that Farmer Good knows 

 his business. This spray is put on about the time 

 some of you begin to lose your petals, and then 

 again every ten days later for two or three spray- 

 ings," concluded Bluey. 



About this time Billy Bee buzzed by in a terrible 

 hurry, chasing a great big fellow, who was making 

 frantic efforts to escape. 



"Look!" said our apple blossom. "Who is that 

 big fellow Billy Bee is chasing? Billy is in a terrible 

 rage. Oh, look! Cock Robin gobbled him up. I 

 wonder what it was all about. Here comes Billy 

 Bee back, I'll ask him all about it." 



