96 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
March, 1919 
Cream City Dry Arsenate of Lead 
Contains approximately 33% arsenic oxide, therefore has maximum 
killing power. Due to its fineness, is easily and uniformly sprayed, 
sticks longer to the plants and therefore gives the highest efficiency and 
economy. 
Cream City Nitrate of Soda is a fertilizer which gives the plants an 
early start and supplies the necessary nitrogen. 
Cream City Lime Sulphur 33 Beaume. 
Manufactured by 
CREAM CITY CHEMICAL WORKS 
772-778 Kinnickinnic Ave. Milwaukee, Wis. 
that a reduction in the wheat crop 
of 1916 from 1,025,000,000 bushels, 
the 1915 figures, to 636,000,000 
bushels, had taken place, largely 
through the effect of a single pre- 
ventable plant disease, the neces- 
sity of heroic measures was appar- 
ent. 
Black stem rust of grain had 
been the cause of many serious 
losses to wheat, oats, barley, and 
rye crops now and then for dec- 
ades. The most remarkable feat- 
ure of these conditions was the 
fact that the remedy had been 
known for many generations. Two 
centuries ago farmers discovered 
that black rust did untold injury 
in fields adjoining barberry 
hedges. At the time of the Revo- 
lutionary Avar Massachusetts pro- 
hibited the planting of the com- 
mon barberry but seems never to 
have enforced the statute. In 
1865 it was definitely proven that 
the barberry rust was the same as 
that on grain. 
It may seem strange under these 
circumstances that these bushes 
Avere imported so persistently in- 
to the United States. They orig- 
inated in Asia, but the berries 
proved popular in Europe and 
Avere brought into America by the 
early settlers. In Wisconsin they 
arrived by 1840 and sixty years 
ago Avere Avell established in Dane, 
Wahvorth, Winnebago, Manito- 
woc, BroAvn, Sauk, La Crosse, 
Trempealeau and other counties. 
The question of a campaign of 
eradication Avas becoming insist- 
ent three years ago after excellent 
results had folloAved similar action 
in European countries. Denmark 
led the war and has not had a rust 
epidemic since the common bar- 
berries Avere destroyed. Many 
other countries folloAA'ed .suit. 
The United States last year, be- 
coming the granary of the Avorld, 
could not afford to lose a fourth 
of its entire grain crop from a 
preventible disease and began an 
eradication campaign. 
The experiment station, and tht 
state federal departments of agri- 
culture joined hands. Thousands 
of copies of educational articles 
were published and reams of 
mimeograph letters were sent out. 
Park boards, state institutions and 
public officials set the example and 
oAvners of large estates rapidly 
fell in line : In Wisconsin over a 
hundred thousand sources of 
grain rust infection had been de- 
stroyed by the time the buds burst 
in the spring. 
In tAveh r e places in the state 
barberries had escaped from their 
usual locations around houses and 
been carried by birds into the 
woods. In nine of these places all 
have been destroyed and progress 
has been made in the others. 
There are possibly other counties 
in AAdrich the barberries are numer- 
ous in the Avoods but such condi- 
tions are not proving as difficult to 
handle as was anticipated. 
The horticultural society can 
help during the coming season 
even more than during the past. 
The conspicuous and easily 
found plants have been taken out, 
but isolated and missed ones re- 
main. Members can be of greaet 
assistance by notifying the depart- 
ment of any tall barberry bushes 
found especially along country 
roads. This campaign Avill be con- 
tinued until not a shrub of the 
dangerous kind remains. 
