i 9 4 



Grazing in Sprayed Orchards. 



to estimate, but it might appear probable, under certain circum- 

 stances, at least, that herbage in orchards treated with arsenious 

 compounds, such as " Paris Green " or " London Purple," might 

 become so poisoned as to be dangerous to live stock, although 

 no case of such poisoning appears to have been recorded. 



That no evil results would follow this method of destroying 

 orchard pests had been already anticipated, and this had, in 

 fact, been experimentally tested in the United States, where 

 Professor Snow sprayed clover with an ordinary Paris Green 

 wash and then immediately fed his horse on it without any ill 

 effects. 



In view, however, of the great increase in recent years in the 

 practice of " spraying " in this country, the Board of Agriculture 

 considered it desirable to make arrangements with the South- 

 Eastern Agricultural College, Wye, to investigate the matter, 

 and an experiment to test the effect of pasturing stock in an 

 orchard sprayed with an arsenical solution was accordingly 

 carried out during the past season by that College. 



On May 23rd, 1902, two acres of young fruit trees were sprayed 

 with Paris Green ; not only were the trees thus treated but the 

 grass between the trees was also sprayed. The wash used was 

 prepared by mixing 3 lb. of Paris Green (Blundell's paste) and 

 3 lb. of lime with 600 gallons of water. About 3 lb. of Paris 

 Green was thus sprayed over the two acres, 600 gallons of 

 wash being put upon the trees and ground, which is rather more 

 than would have been normally employed, and considerably 

 more of the wash went on the grass than would have been the 

 case in an older orchard, or where hand machines were used for 

 young trees. 



The machine used was a one-horse " Mistifier," which sends 

 out a dense and even spray. The plot was sprayed between 

 1 and 4 p.m. on a warm, cloudy, still day, the ground beneath 

 the trees being covered with a good growth of grass. No special 

 care was taken, and as the wash was mixed on the plot several 

 concentrated patches resulted where the " Mistifier " was filled 

 from the mixing receptacle. While the washing was in progress 

 twenty Kent ewes were turned on the land and at once com- 

 menced eating the wet grass. 



The sheep were examined from day to day. On May 24th 



