UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
•PARTMENT BULLETIN No. 1431 
Washington, D. C. V November, 1926 
FISH OIL, AN EFFICIENT ADHESIVE IN ARSENATE-OF-LEAD SPRAYS 
By Clifford E. Hood, Assistant Entomologist, Gipsy Moth and Brovm-tail 
Moth Investigations, Bureau of Entomology l 
CONTENTS 
Why an adhesive is needed 2 
Preliminary experiments 2 
Experiments conducted on a large scale in 
1924 6 
Superior adhesiveness of drying oils 15 
Tests with a barrel pump 15 
Page 
Ad hesives injurious to foliage 16 
Tests with raw oils 18 
Spraying near buildings 19 
C onclusion 19 
Literature cited 21 
In recent years many experiments and tests have been made with 
various substances added to arsenate-of-lead and other spray mix- 
tures to increase their adhesive and spreading qualities. Some of 
these substances were soap, glue, casein, molasses, gelatine, glucose, 
and flour. 
Washburn (10, p. 3, 14) in 1891 recommended whale-oil soap as 
an adhesive for sprays of Paris green, and stated that it had given 
perfect satisfaction. Fernald (2) in 1894 recommended the addition 
of 2 quarts of glucose or molasses to each 150 gallons of arsenate of 
lead mixture, to cause the insecticide to adhere to the leaves. Sirrine 
(7) in 1895 and later used a resin-lime mixture as an adhesive for 
Paris green and Bordeaux mixture when applied to cabbage and 
cauliflower. Lowe (5) in 1896 stated that glue, used at the rate of 
2 quarts to 45 gallons of green arsenite mixture, proved more satis- 
factory than glucose, used in the same proportion. Parker (6) in 
1912 suggested the possibility of using flour paste as an adhesive for 
arsenicals. Lees (4) in 1913 and 1914 tried a number of substances 
as adhesives for preparations of lime used as cover washes for 
trees in late wunter and early spring. Some of the substances used 
w^ere glue and flour, also a mixture of whiting, starch, glue, and 
potassium dichromate. Berger (1) in 1917 reported good results 
with linseed oil as an adhesive for Bordeaux mixture. Stearns 
1 The writer is indebted to A. F. Burgess, in charge of gipsy moth and brown-tail moth investigations, 
for helpful suggestions; to H. L. Blaisdell for cooperation in furnishing equipment and necessary help, and 
to H. A. Ames for assistance in observations carried on in New Jersey. The photographs reproduced in 
this bulletin were prepared by the author. 
3387°— 26t 1 
