136 ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS. 



TESTS OF LIME-SULPHUR WASHES IN CONNECTICUT IN 1905. 



By W. E. Britton, New Haven, Conn. 



In our experiments, 6,000 peach, apple, and pear trees in five dif- 

 ferent orchards, situated in Westville, West Haven, Westporc, South - 

 ington, and Middletown, were sprayed in March and April, 1905. 

 The spray mixtures were chiefly lime-sulphur washes, which were 

 prepared after five different formulas, as follows: 



BOILED WASHES. 



No. 1. — Twenty pounds lime, 14 pounds sulphur, 40 gallons water. 

 The sulphur was added to the slaking lime and boiled 45 minutes. 

 The mixture was then strained into the pump barrel, diluted, and 

 aj)plied. 



No. 2. — Twenty pounds lime, 14 pounds sulphur, 10 pounds salt, 

 40 gallons water. Prepared as in the preceding, the salt being added 

 with the sulphur. 



" SELF-BOILED " WASHES. 



No. 3. — Twenty pounds lime, 10 pounds sulphur, 10 pounds sodium 

 sulphide, 40 gallons water. The lime was started slaking, and sul- 

 phur added. When at greatest heat, the sodium sulphide was added, 

 with constant stirring. 



No. 4. — Twenty pounds lime, 14 pounds sulphur, 5 pounds caustic 

 soda, 40 gallons water. Prepared like No. 3, caustic soda being used 

 instead of sulphide. 



No. 5. — Twenty pounds lime, 14 pounds sulphur, 10 pounds sal 

 soda, 40 gallons water. Made like Nos. 3 and 4, except that hot water 

 was used and sal soda was employed instead of caustic and sulphide. 



In each of these " self-boiled " washes the materials were allowed 

 to stand for about thirty minutes after the violent boiling had ceased 

 before diluting and applying. 



In comparison with these lime-sulphur washes the following kero- 

 sene-limoid mixture, containing about 25 per cent of kerosene, was 

 employed : 



No. 6. — Forty pounds limoicl, 10 gallons kerosene, 30 gallons water. 

 The kerosene was absorbed by the limoicl, then by violent stirring 

 and forcing through the pump this was mixed with the water. 



Mixtures 1 and 2 were boiled; mixtures 3, 4, and 5 are called 

 " self -boiled " because no heat is used in preparing them except that 

 evolved by the slaking lime. 



The cost of materials in making these mixtures varies from $0.54 

 to $0.84 in the lime-sulphur washes for enough to make a barrel of 

 40 gallons. Materials for the same quantity of mixture No. 6 (kero- 



