II 



materials are dissolved the boiling should be continued for about an 

 hoar, and a considerable degree of heat should be employed so as to 

 keep the preparation in a brisk state of ebullition, cold water being 

 added in small quantities whenever there are indications of the prepa- 

 ration boiling over ; too much cold water, however, should not be added 

 at one time, or the boiling process will be arrested and thereby delayed, 

 but by a little practice the operator will learn how much water to add 

 so as to keep the preparation boiling actively. Stirring the preparation 

 is quite unnecessary during this stage of the work. When boiled suffi- 

 ciently it will assimilate perfectly with water and should then be di- 

 luted with the proper quantity of cold water, adding it slowly at first 

 and stirring occasionally during the process. The undiluted prepara- 

 tion is pale yellowish in color, but by the addition of water it becomes- 

 a very dark brown. Before being sprayed on the trees it should be 

 strained through a fine wire sieve, or through a piece of swiss muslin, 

 and this is usually accomplished when pouring the liquid into the spray- 

 ing tank, by means of a strainer placed over the opening through which 

 the preparation is introduced into the tank. 



The preparing of this compound would be greatly accelerated if the 

 resin and caustic soda were first pulverized before being placed in the 

 boiler, but this -is quite a difficult task to perform. Both of these sub- 

 stances are put up in large cakes for the wholesale trade, the resin be- 

 ing in wooden barrels, each barrel containing a single cake weighing 

 about 375 pounds, while the caustic soda is put up in iron drums con- 

 taining a single cake each, weighing about 800 pounds. The soda is 

 the most difficult to dissolve, but this could doubtless be obviated by 

 first dissolving it in cold water and then using the solution as required 



It has been very generally supposed that the finer the spray could be 

 thrown upon the tree the better would be the results obtained, but 

 after conversing with several persons who make the spraying of trees 

 their special work I was somewhat surprised to learn that each of them 

 were in favor of a rather coarse spray. In nearly every instance they 

 had started out with the impression that a fine spray was the best, but 

 had gradually adopted one somewhat coarser, finally adopting one that 

 threw a moderately coarse spray with considerable force. After care- 

 fully investigating the subject I found that their reasons for preferring 

 a rather coarse spray to a fine one were well founded. 



The object sought for is not so much to simply sprinkle and wet the 

 tree as it is to paint or varnish it over with the compound used, and 

 this can best be accomplished by the use of a rather coarse spray, which 

 enables them to throw the liquid upon the tree with considerable force, 

 so that when it strikes any portion of the tree it spreads out and covers 

 the adjoining parts with a thin film, as if put on with a brush. It also 

 strikes inauy of the leaves with such force as to cause them to expose 

 to the spray portions of their surfaces that would otherwise escape- 

 Besides this, by the use of a moderately coarse spray the tree can be 



