2 BULLETIN 197, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



ejected through perforated coils in the bottom of the tanks. There 

 was no mechanical agitator, the mixture being agitated by hand by 

 the use of a long wooden paddle. The mixture was allowed to cook 

 50 minutes, when, after taking samples for testing purposes, the 

 remainder was drained into a storage tank. The results of these 

 tests are given in Table I. 



Table I. — Results of cooking different lots of lime and sulphur in preparation of lime- 

 sulphur wash, Berryville, Va., 1912. 



Experi- 

 ment No. 



Formula. 



Percentage 

 in volume 

 of sludge. 



Degrees 

 Baume\ 



Lime. 



Sulphur. 



Water. 



1 

 2 

 3 

 4 

 5 

 6 



Pounds. 

 50 

 50 

 50 

 50 

 45 

 55 



Pounds. 

 100 

 100 

 100 

 100 

 100 

 100 



Gallons. 

 50 

 50 

 50 

 50 

 50 

 50 



39.0 

 50.0 

 35.0 

 41.5 

 41.0 

 44.0 



28.5 



30.0 

 29.5 

 30.5 

 29.0 

 28.0 



The 50-100-50 formula was used in the first four of these experi- 

 ments. The Baume test of the cooked wash varied from 28.5° to 

 30.5°, and the percentage in volume of sludge, after standing 24 hours, 

 varied from 35 to 50. The preparation of the wash in experiments 1 

 and 3 was as nearly the same as was possible, the lime being added 

 first and the sulphur immediately afterwards. In experiment 2 the 

 sulphur was added first. 



In experiment 4 the mixture was not stirred after the steam was 

 turned on, the steam being depended upon for agitation. Otherwise 

 the treatment was the same as in experiment 1. 



In experiments 5 and 6 the quantity of lime was decreased and in- 

 creased 5 pounds, respectively, from the amount previously used. 

 This was done to determine, if possible, whether more or less of this 

 particular brand of lime should be used. In every other respect the 

 treatment was the same as in experiment 1. The only points con- 

 sidered in this experiment were the Baume test and the percentage in 

 volume of sludge. 



EXPERIMENTS AT WINCHESTER, VA. 



A lime-sulphur cooking plant located at Winchester, Va., also was 

 visited. This plant, which has a capacity of 500 gallons per day, 

 consists of a 150-gallon rectangular sheet-iron tank embedded in a 

 brick furnace in which wood is burned to furnish the heat. This 

 plant supplies a number of the surrounding fruit growers with lime- 

 sulphur solution. As soon as the cooking has been completed, the 

 solution is piped directly through a 20-mesh strainer into 50-gallon 

 barrels and is delivered to the growers without being filtered. The 

 strainer, of course, takes out only the coarser particles; therefore it is 

 necessary for the grower thoroughly to shake the barrel each time 



