Vol. LXIV. No. 2908 . NEW YORK, OCTOBER 21. 1905 . WEEKLY, $1.00 PER YEAR. 
A NEW SPRAYING MIXTURE. 
Kerosene, Lime and Sulphur. 
1 notice in your notes on page GOO that your results 
with K.-L. in killing scale have not been so good as 
mine. 1 understand the results in Delaware have been 
mostly satisfactory, especially where the mixture was 
properly made and thoroughly applied. The one point 
which needs emphasis' in the use of K.-L. is the violent 
agitation, “pounding, churning and splashing” necessary 
to emulsify the mixture. Many people seem to think 
that a good stirring with a paddle is all that is neces¬ 
sary, but they are mistaken, and can never get good 
results with K.-L. made that way, because the heavier 
lime portion, which is sprayed first, does not contain its 
share of kerosene, and although it coats the tree white 
it will not kill enough of the scale. The lighter portion 
containing free kerosene is sprayed last, and does not 
whiten the tree, but is likely to injure it seriously. I 
think you will do well to advise the use of 15 per cent 
K. -L. on peach trees and 20 per cent on other fruit 
trees during the latter half of October or early in 
November, preferably in October in the North. The 
idea is to catch the scale with their Win¬ 
ter overcoats unbuttoned, when they are 
easily killed. My experience is that 20 
per cent K.-L. applied to peaches in No¬ 
vember did not injure the fruit buds, but 
did completely eradicate the scale. Fif¬ 
teen per cent did the same thing, so I 
recommended this strength. In short, I 
should say use 15 percent K.-L. on peaches 
the latter part of October or early No¬ 
vember, and 20 per cent again in March 
or April, just before the buds swell; in 
fact, if the fruit buds are swelling it is 
safe to use it. On other fruit trees use 
20 per cent K.-L. in October or November 
and 20 per cent again in the Spring. 
I have a new combination which will 
be of interest to fruit growers, it is K.- 
L. -S. (kerosene-lime-sulphur). This is a 
combination of K.-L. and lime-sulphur 
wash, no salt being used. In preliminary 
trials it is proving disastrous to the scale. 
Naturally it should do so, as it contains the 
penetrating and killing power of K.-L. 
added to the destructiveness of the sul¬ 
phide of lime of the lime-sulphur wash. 
It penetrates the fuzzy covering on apple 
twigs, and that the lime-sulphur-salt wash cannot do. 
To make the sulphide of lime use one pound of sul¬ 
phur and one of lime for each gallon of water, and 
boil three-quarters of an hour. When finished add 
enough water to replace that lost by boiling. This 
can be used either hot or cold with the K.-L. and 
should be stirred before being dipped out to be poured 
into the K.-L. The 10 per cent K.-L.-S. seems to be 
about as effective as 15 per cent K.-L., the sulphide of 
lime seeming to be as effective as 5 per cent K.-L. would 
be. If it is desired to reduce the expense of kerosene, 
the sulphide of lime may be substituted. It will not 
do to apply too much sulphide of lime on foliage, or 
considerable injury will follow. During the dormant 
season it would not matter how much is used. At 
present 1 should not use more sulphide of lime than 
kerosene in making K.-L.-S., even half as much is very 
satisfactory. 
Fifty gallons of 10 per cent K.-L.-S. may be used 
as follows: Five gallons kerosene; 20 pounds hydrated 
lime; 40 gallons water; five gallons sulphide of lime. 
Mix the kerosene and lime together carefully in a 
barrel, add a few gallons of water, stir well with a 
paddle, add remainder of water, and with a hoe or 
nastier, churn, splash and pound the mixture violently 
for two or three minutes to emulsify it. Then pour 
in the sulphide of l.ime and agitate a minute Qr two 
longer. Throw a piece of burlap or canvas over the 
barrel while emulsifying the mixture, to keep it from 
splashing out. I have made K.-L.-S. by stirring the 
sulphide of lime into the sloppy mass of kerosene and 
lime, but prefer the method just described. The K.-L.- 
S. is more caustic to the face than is K.-L.; that is, 
it “bites" more. I should advocate the use of 10 per 
cent to 12 per cent on peaches and 15 per cent to 
17)4 per cent on other fruit trees after the middle of 
October, and 15 to 20 per cent on all fruit trees in the 
Spring. If a man will not spray thoroughly and cover 
every portion of the bark from the surface of the 
ground, or even below the surface, to the tip of the 
outermost twig, he might as well give up the battle 
against the scale, and spend his time sitting on a dry- 
goods box at the corner grocery in friendly gossip; one 
will be as profitable to him as the other. Too many 
men sprinkle their trees, giving them "a slap here and 
a dash there,” and call it spraying; then if the scale 
dares breed and increase after such rough treatment 
the spray mixture and all who advocate it receive a 
blessing. We cannot insist too strongly upon the need 
of thoroughness in all forms of spraying. c. p. close. 
BLACK AND WHITE BOARDERS THAT PAY. Fig 221. See Page 761 
BRIEF SPRAYING NOTES. 
K.-L. A FAILURE.—We saw on page 698 that spray¬ 
ing reports are in order. We have to say that 20 per 
cent K.-L. Mixture, thoroughly applied, the middle of 
March, was a failure with us, seemingly killing only a few 
scale. The San Jose scale has increased more the past 
year with us than ever before. In the future we shall 
u^e crude oil. as that is a sure insecticide, if it does 
kill a tree once in a while. P. r». randoeph & sons. 
Somerset Co., N. J. 
WHEN TO USE. — I saw an interesting article on 
page 698 about San Jose scale. I have heard from 
many sources that lime-sulphur-salt wash was a sure 
thing, and from about as many more I hear that it is a 
failure. A neighbor of mine, who is finite an enthu¬ 
siastic fruit grower, claims he does a clean job with 
caustic soda; about eight pounds to 50 gallons water 
he has been using, but thinks now that six will do as 
well. lie thinks this is so simple and still so effective. 
What do you know about that? F. M. c. 
Plainfield, N. J. 
R. N.-Y. We have seen too many trees ruined by 
caustic soda. When too weak to hurt the trees the 
soda does not kill all the scale. Lime and sulphur, 
when the trees are dormant, is the most popular wash. 
We hope that the pew soluble oils will prove useful. 
LIME-SULPHUR DOES IT.— I have seen much 
comment at different times in Ruralisms, about the 
use of lime and sulphur wash for scale. I was greatly 
interested in this, as your result has seemed to be un¬ 
satisfactory. My own experience has been right the 
reverse, and as I see you say on page 698 you have 
yet to hear from “any real success witli lime-sulphur 
washes made in a small way and applied by hand 
pump,” this is just what I did and here is my experi 
ence: My orchard was affected more or less all over, 
but one apple tree, a Winesap, was simply crusted from 
top to bottom (tree two years set, and of good growth). 
One of our leading growers told me to take no chances, 
but to dig it out and burn it. I told him as I had 
started to grow fruit, if I had to dig and burn I should 
wait and do it all in one job. On March 9 1 mixed 
one barrel of lime and sulphur boiled with five pounds 
of lye, and used on part of the orchard with hand 
pump. About 4 P. M. it commenced to snow and rain, 
and took most of it off. March 10 I again mixed lime 
and sulphur, this time boiled with H) pounds sal soda, 
and went over the whole orchard with hand pump, the 
Winesap tree getting both applications. About six days 
later we had an ice storm that clung to 
the trees, and when it dropped off most 
of the mixture seemed to go with it. yet 
to this date I have been unable to find a 
live scale on the Winesap tree, or on any 
other tree in the orchard. Still, there is 
no doubt in my mind that there is scale 
there; it would simply be wonderful if 
there was not. But I am perfectly satis¬ 
fied with the lime-sulphur wash, and will 
say that I have used it many times before 
fire-boiled with equally good results, and 
think it our best remedy to date. 1 am 
setting more trees all the time, with the 
belief that I can control the scale. 
Kindcrhook, N. Y. w. n. 
STICK TO LIME-SULPHUR.—I still 
have perfect confidence in the lime, sul¬ 
phur and salt. I feel the Codling moth 
is much harder to control than the San 
Jose scale. So far as 1 have heard the 
limoid and kerosene is a failure. Several 
who used it have told me this. We will 
combat the scale in the good old orthodox 
way, and stick to the lime-sulphur-salt 
mixture. I know we can hold the scale 
in check; I am rather sorry I have to be 
obstinate, and stand out against so many able men, who 
are old veterans in fruit growing, but so it is; I feel 
rather lonely, but I am growing fruit all the same. 
New Jersey. wm. h. skillman. 
INFLUENCE OF STOCK ON SCION. 
We prefer to take all scions and buds from trees 
which produce fruit of the type desired. The bearing 
age of most standard sorts depends much on location, 
fertilization and care. A very thrifty tree as a rule 
comes later into bearing full crop, but may produce 
some fruit as soon as'others. I'have never used Mc¬ 
Mahon as a stock for top-working and am not acquaint¬ 
ed with it, yet I am satisfied that the stock does affect 
the bearing age of trees, especially when top-working 
or grafting is practiced. I have Gravenstein grafted on 
Baldwin and Ben Davis, beside each other. Although 
the Ben Davis stock has not produced as large a tree as 
the Baldwin stock the trees have borne earlier, and so 
far more fruit, yet when the Baldwin stock bears full 
crops without doubt they will produce more than the 
others, and may prove fully as profitable as the others 
in the long run. The greatest advantage I see so far is 
that the Ben Davis stock produces the hardiest wood 
growth. We have a Gravenstein grafted on a Trans- 
cendant crab, which will produce twice as many apples 
