423 
PARK AND CEMETERY . 
cooking with steam or in open ket- 
tles at home has been one of the prin- 
cipal objections to this spray. Cer- 
tain manufacturers have therefore put 
on the market concentrated solutions 
of lime-sulphur wash, which have 
only to be diluted with water for use. 
These commercial washes have 
proved to be about as effective in con- 
trolling the scale as the well-cooked 
lime-sulphur wash, and,» although 
somewhat more expensive, have been 
adopted by many commercial or- 
chardists in preference to the home- 
prepared spray. They are especially 
useful for the smaller orchardist, 
whose interests do not warrant the 
construction of a cooking plant. In 
other ways, too, they possess advan- 
tages; for instance, those using the 
commercial washes may have always 
on hand a stock solution, so that the 
spray may be quickly prepared and 
advantage taken of favorable weather 
conditions. 
HOMEMADE CONCENTRATED LIME- 
SULPHUR SOLUTIONS. 
The question of the preparation at 
home of concentrated lime-sulphur 
solutions which will not crystallize 
upon cooling, thus duplicating essen- 
tially the commercial product, has 
been the subject of investigation by 
several entomologists, notably by 
Cordley in Oregon, Stewart in Penn- 
sylvania, and Parrott in New York 
State. These gentlemen have dem- 
onstrated that it is practicable for 
orchardists to prepare concentrated 
stock solutions of lime-sulphur wash 
for immediate or later use. Several 
orchardists have already adopted this 
plan, and it will doubtless come into 
more general use in the future. The 
details of the preparation of concen- 
trated lime-sulphur solutions can not 
propertly be given in the scope of 
this circular, but those interested 
should secure, if possible, copies of 
reports on the work from the direc- 
tors of the respective experiment sta- 
tions. 
SELF-BOILED LIME-SULPHUR WASH. 
In the earlier experiments with the 
lime-sulphur wash in the East many 
efforts were made to avoid the neces- 
sity of cooking the wash by utilizing, 
to dissolve the sulphur, the heat gen- 
erated by the slaking of the lime, or 
supplementing this by the addition of 
a quantity of caustic soda or potash. 
This preparation, formerly designated 
as self-boiled lime-sulphur wash, has 
now largely, if not entirely, fallen 
into disuse, and the spray under con- 
sideration is essentially a different 
preparation and was developed pri- 
marily as a fungicide. 
Experiments made by the Bureau 
of Entomology in the vicinity of 
Washington in 1908, however, have 
shown that this self-boiled wash, by 
destroying the young insects and in- 
terfering with their establishment, is 
an excellent summer treatment for 
the San Jose scale. It is also effect- 
ive in destroying aphides and, in ad- 
dition, as stated, will prevent numer- 
ous fungous diseases, as established 
by Prof. W. M. Scott, of the Bureau 
of Plant Industry. Its use is espe- 
cially recommended for scale-infested 
fruit trees which should receive appli- 
cations of a fungicide and which may 
be more or less affected with aphides. 
By the addition of arsenate of lead, at 
the rate of 2 pounds to 50 gallons of 
spray, the wash also becomes effect- 
ive against biting insects, such as the 
codling moth and plum curculio, and 
this furnishes as nearly an all-around 
spray as anything at present known. 
It is possible that the commercial 
concentrated lime-sulphur wash, pre- 
viously referred to, used at the rate 
of lA gallons to 50 gallons of water, 
would destroy many of the young 
San Jose scales. It has been shown 
to be an excellent fungicide, and at 
The following queries on actual 
problems and difficulties that have 
been met with by park superintend- 
ents, have come to us recently, and 
we print them here, not only for the 
purpose of getting answers that may 
be of real benefit to the inquirers, but 
in order to provoke discussion of 
these practical matters by the men 
who are working on them. 
You will aid some one and assist in 
bringing out some thoughts that may 
be of equal value to you by contrib- 
uting something to the discussion of 
these problems. 
What do you know on any one of 
the following subjects? 
We have been using a light resi- 
dium oil, as a dust suppressor, on 
gravelled driveways. Only a light 
application was made, but consider- 
able grumbling was done by motor 
car owners, regarding the ill effects 
of the oil on the tires of their ma- 
chines. Has this trouble been met 
with by other users of road oil, and 
if so, what means has been taken to 
obviate the difficulty? 
G. B. S. 
this strength not injurious to the foli- 
age. Arsenate of lead may also be 
added, as in the case of the self-boiled 
wash. 
In using the self-boiled lime-sul- 
phur wash as a scale treatment, how- 
ever, especial pains should be taken 
to coat the limbs and branches of the 
infested trees, and, on account of the 
presence of the leaves, careful work 
will be necessary to accomplish this. 
This wash is made as follows: 
Stone lime pounds 8 
Sulphur (flour or flowers) .pounds 8 
Water to make gallons 50 
The lime should be placed in a bar- 
rel and enough water poured on to 
almost cover it. As soon as the 
lime begins to slake the sulphur 
should be added, after first running 
it through a sieve to. break up the 
lumps. The mixture should be con- 
stantly stirred and more water added 
as needed to form a thick paste af first 
and then gradually a thin paste. The 
lime will supply enough heat to boil 
the mixture several minutes. As soon 
as it is well slaked water should be 
added to cool the mixture. 
(To he Concluded next month.') 
We have a long straight walk, 
crossing a park meadow, used by 
thousands of people during the sum- 
mer months, to and from the street 
cars and the park pavillion. Though 
the walk is kept in first class condi- 
tion, yet one half the people walk on 
the turf edges, in spite of signs and 
constables. It is hardly feasible to 
fence the walk, owing to its position 
and surroundings. What is the best 
solution of the difficulty? 
Canad.\. 
Can any one suggest an efficient 
method of flooring a small artificial 
lake, about 30,000 sq. ft. in area, that 
will not be as costly as concrete? Our 
winter temperature is very low, often 
30 and 40 below zero, and a water 
tight concrete floor would have to be 
at least twelve inches in depth to 
stand frost pressure. M. P. 
What is the best method of keep- 
ing the grass short on very large park 
areas? An ordinary hay-cutting ma- 
chine does not make a neat enough 
job, and lawn mowers, horse, hand 
or motor, are costly and slow. 
G. A. F. 
? I WANT TO KNOW ? 
