1909.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 409 



with half the water for 45 minutes, then strained and diluted to 

 50 gallons. The wash is then ready for use, practically all the sulphur 

 being in solution combined with the lime. For spraying trees in the 

 dormant state, this wash may be substituted for Bordeaux mixture 

 as a fungicide, and it is frequently used for peach-leaf curl. As, how- 

 ever, it is injurious to foliage, it cannot safely be used as a summer 

 spray, unless greatly diluted, and then not effectively on the peach. 



(2) A lime-sulphur solution is sold in the United States which is prac- 

 tically a concentrated solution of the same composition as the above. It 

 has been rather extensively tested as a summer spray, but the results have 

 been conflicting. 



(3) The self-boiled lime-sulphur mixture, to which these experiments 

 largely refer, is a combination of lime and sulphur boiled with only 

 the heat of slaking lime. It is primarily intended for summer spraying 

 as a substitute for Bordeaux mixture where the latter is likely to be 

 injurious to foliage or fruit. For most purposes, however, Bordeaux 

 mixture is considered to be the better fungicide, and should be used 

 when possible. 



The mixture which was found most satisfactory was composed of 

 10 lb. lime, 10 lb. sulphur, and 50 gals, of water, while 6 lb. sulphur 

 and 6 lb. lime to the same quantity of water also gave good results 

 on peach and cherry trees. It is most suitably prepared in rather large 

 quantities — 20 lb. or even 40 lb. at a time — in order to produce sufficient 

 heat to cause violent boiling for a few minutes. The lime should be 

 placed in a barrel, and sufficient water added (3 gals, per 20 lb.) to 

 start the slaking and keep the sulphur off the bottom of the barrel. 

 The sulphur should then be added, passing it through a sieve to break 

 up lumps, and, finally, enough water to slake the lime into a paste, 

 stirring vigorously to prevent caking. After the violent boiling, which 

 accompanies the slaking of the lime, is over, it should be diluted for 

 use, or enough water added to cool it. By this method only a small 

 percentage of the sulphur goes into solution, but, if allowed to stand 

 and remain hot too long, the sulphur and lime continue to unite, and 

 the liquid may cause burning of the foliage. Hence the necessity of 

 cooling the mixture as soon as the lime is well slaked. The amount of 

 water added must be varied somewhat according to the quality of the 

 lime. In applying this mixture, an outfit with a good agitator must 

 be used. 



The mixture was applied to peaches without injury to the foliage, 

 and the results as regards peach scab and brown rot were fairly satis- 

 factory. 



In the case of trees defoliated by cherry leaf-spot, plots of trees were 

 sprayed three times — on 20th May, 20th June, and 17th July— the first 

 date being a month after blooming, and the second immediately after 

 the crop was picked. From 75 to 85 per cent, of the leaves on un- 

 sprayed trees dropped during the first month, while most of the re- 

 maining leaves were badly spotted, and the trees eventually became 

 practically bare. The self-boiled mixture and also the Bordeaux mixture 

 were effective in controlling the disease, and the trees kept their foliage 

 throughout the season. No injury resulted from the use of the lime- 

 sulphur wash. 



Owing to unsatisfactory weather conditions,, the experiments as re- 



