28 
BULLETIN 1451, TJ. 
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
The picric acid was quoted in large quantities at 20 to 25 cents a 
pound. At this rate a field application as strong as that which failed 
in the greenhouse would cost about 15 cents for the material alone. 
Hence, a stronger and fatal dose would be prohibitive in cost. 
SULPHUR (INOCULATED) 
Tests were made with a commercial preparation of inoculated sul- 
phur containing bacteria intended to hasten the oxidation and solu- 
tion of the sulphur when applied to soils in which such bacteria might 
be deficient. The sulphur was in the form of a powder and, when 
applied to the soil, went into solution slowly, making the soil very 
acid. Just what the action on the plant may be is not known. It 
may be merely the toxic effects of an acid soil, or it may be a more 
direct action of the sulphur. 
No greenhouse tests were made with this material. The most 
effective method of application in the field would seem to be to work 
the sulphur into the soil around the plants to be treated. It was 
decided that such a method would be too expensive to consider. 
Instead, a quantity of the sulphur was mixed with moist earth and 
the mixture was applied to the surface of the soil near the base of 
the bush. It was then stamped, to work it down through the grass 
and into contact with the soil. Table 7 gives the results of the sul- 
phur treatments. 
Table 7. 
-Summary of treatments of individual, marked barberry bushes with 
inoculated sulphur 
Date 
Date of 
Quan- 
tity of 
chemi- 
cal per 
bush 
Bushes : 
Per- 
of 
final 
Dilution 
Method of 
cut off Location 
Bushes 
Bushes 
cent- 
treat- 
observa- 
with soil 
application 
or left of area 
treated 
killed 
age 
ment 
tion 
standing 
killed 
1923 
1925 
Pounds 
July 3 
May 22 
1.0 
lto4 
Around crown on 
surface of soil. 
Cut off... Gurnee, 
1 HI. 
5 
5 
100 
Do... 
...do 
1.0 
lto4 
do 
Standing.. ..do 
5 
5 
100 
SeDt. 10 
...do 
1.0 
lto4 
do 
Cut off.. J. ..do 
5 
5 
100 
Do... 
—do 
1.0 
lto4 
do . .. 
Standing '...do 
5 
4 
80 
June 8 
—do 
1.4 
1. 4 to 8 
do... 
Cut off...!. ..do 
5 
3 
60 
Do... 
...do 
1.4 
1. 4 to 8 
do 
Standing.!. ..do 
5 
5 
100 
Do... 
—do 
2.0 
lto4 
.....do... 
Cut off do 
5 
5 
100 
Do... 
...do 
2.0 
1 to"4 
do 
Standing. 
...do 
5 


Total- 
40 
32 
80 
' 
. 
— 
One thing is not shown in the table, however ; that is the extreme 
slowness with which the sulphur acted. The following notes taken 
from the writers' field book illustrate this: 
July 3, 1923. Treated five standing bushes with sulphur, 1 pound to 4 pounds 
of earth. 
August 10, 1923. No apparent injury to three bushes. Two bushes show a 
slight yellowing of some leaves. 
September 10, 1923. No noticeable injury. 
September 20, 1923. No noticeable injury. 
July 14, 1924. New growth which is dying, on all plants. All the leaves on 
some stems are dead and on others there is partial injury to some leaves. 
August 15, 1924. Two plants dead ; others look very sick. 
May 22, 1925. Bushes all dead. 
