1905.] Spraying Fruit Trees and Bushes. 



643 



time after the leaves were showing, about three weeks later. The 

 strength* used for the first spraying was 1 lb. of sulphate of copper 

 and 1 lb. of quicklime to ten gallons of water ; and for the second 

 operation, on account of the tenderness of the foliage, it was 

 just half this strength. It is usual to put less lime than copper 

 sulphate in Bordeaux mixture, but for safety an equal quantity 

 may be recommended. 



The gooseberry is mentioned by itself because the use of 

 a spray to prevent the destruction of buds by birds during 

 the winter takes the place of the caustic winter wash to be 

 prescribed for other bush fruit as well as trees. Previous to 

 the winter of 1903-4, my gooseberry bushes were half 

 denuded of their buds by birds, the result being not only 

 a serious loss of fruit, but also the deformation of the bushes. 

 Spinning a web of fine cotton over the bushes, by means of a 

 handy tool known as Royle's threader, proved ineffective as 

 a preventive ; but a wash recommended in Wright's Fruit 

 Growers' Guide appeared to be perfectly satisfactory, no buds 

 being picked off. The wash is a mixture of flowers of sulphur, 

 quicklime, and soft soap in the following proportions : — 50 lb. 

 of sulphur, 200 lb. of lime, and 75 lb. of soft soap in 150 gallons 

 of water. The method of preparation described below must be 

 carefully followed, as it is necessary to have the sulphur dissolved, 

 as far as it can be, by the slaking action of the lime. A few lumps 

 of quicklime are placed in a tub, boiling water enough to slake 

 them being poured on. Then a little sulphur is dusted over 

 the lime, next more lime, hot water, and sulphur, and so on 

 until the sulphur is dissolved. If a little more or less than 

 the prescribed quantity of lime be used in the process, it is 

 of no consequence. Where there are facilities for boiling the 

 lime and sulphur, it would be better to boil them together 

 for at least an hour. The soft soap is separately dissolved in 

 boiling water, or by boiling it, and added to the other ingre- 

 dients of the mixture. Account must be kept of the quantity 

 of water used in the slaking of the lime and the dissolving 

 of the soft soap, in order that the quantity to be added 

 afterwards may be known. The process is a very slow and 



* The strength recommended in the Board's leaflet on "Peach Leaf Curl ' ; 

 (No. 120) is 2 lb. of copper sulphate, I lb. of lime to 10 gallons of water. 



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