1906. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
*i89j 
Hope Farm Notes 
Making Things. —It seems to be left for 
me in this paper to try to tell bow some in¬ 
sect and plant killers are made. People say 
that a farmer ought to have all these things 
in his head—-but be doesn’t. Most of us 
must face fact rather than theory. Some 
heads are too full and others are too small to 
hold all these things. First, lime, sulphur 
and salt for killing the scale. This mixture 
is probably the best scale killer when well 
made and' applied. The large growers who 
can iix up a cooking outfit do not need to be 
told how to make it. The following method 
of making the mixture without steam or a 
boiler has been given before: 
“My formula is as follows: 17 pounds 
flowers of sulphur, 34 pounds wood-burned 
lime, 13 pounds salt. I think it is quite es¬ 
sential to have the lime wood-burned, as it 
gives off more heat than that burned with 
coal. I use three gallons boiling water to 
make the sulphur paste, adding the sulphur 
as I stir, and stirring until sulphur is all 
dissolved. I use a cut-down oil barrel to 
slake the lime in : put lime in barrel, having 
heavy blankets handy to cover, then pour on 
the lime 12 gallons of boiling water; cover 
the barrel until boiling starts (which will 
be almost immediately) then add the sul¬ 
phur paste. Cover again, inserting a hoe 
under the blanket to stir with, but stir only 
enough to keep the lime from burning, and I 
am very careful not to have my hands or 
wrists bare, for the steam is* so intensely hot 
it would scald any exposed flesh. I let this 
mixture cook 20 minutes, then add 13 pounds 
salt, stirring a little. Next I strain the 
mixture into a 50-gallon cask, hanging strain 
er on the side of cask. Strainer is a home¬ 
made affair, consisting of a square wooden 
frame with common wire fly netting nailed on 
bottom. This strainer must be emptied of 
its dregs two or three times while runuing the 
mixture through.” 
I am often asked how the soluble oils com¬ 
pare with lime and sulphur. We have used 
them freely. The scales seem to be dead, and 
entomologists report that only a few are liv¬ 
ing. I shall wait until June, however, before 
I decide. A scale insect may Tool a micro¬ 
scope in the Winter season. At present it 
looks as though the oils would do the work, 
and they are much easier to mix and spray. 
K.-L. or kerosene and limoid, is another use¬ 
ful insecticide. Limoid is a very fine form of 
lime which contains magnesia. In making 
K.-L. we take say 10 pounds of limoid and 
10 quarts of kerosene. They are put to¬ 
gether in a barrel and thoroughly mixed to¬ 
gether. Water is added and the whole thing 
churned or pirnmed together. Then more 
water enough to make 100 quarts is added 
and again churned. This means a “10 per 
cent mixture”—that is. there are 10 quarts 
of kerosene to 100 quarts of the total mix¬ 
ture. The theory of this simple mixture is 
that the line limoid holds the kerosene me¬ 
chanically—so that when sprayed over the 
tree a thin coat of whitewash is formed, every 
part of It holding a little kerosene. This 
kerosene is death to the scale. Results from 
the use of K.-L. vary. We bad good results 
from it in one orchard, and very much poorer 
In another. I think much depends upon the 
mixing. It Is so easily done that many peo¬ 
ple think a little easy stirring will answer. 
It will not, for unless it is thoroughly churned 
up you will spray on thin whitewash at one 
time with no benefit and nearly pure kerosene 
at another—killing your trees! 
We are often asked bow to make the Bor- 
deanx Mixture. It is easy to print the form¬ 
ula. but 1 find that most successful growers 
have a way of their own which suits them. 
For instance, one man has a tank of lime 
water and a tank of copper sulphate and 
another large tank of water. A large pipe 
runs from the water and smaller pipes from 
the other tanks. He has it gauged, so that 
he can drive his spraying tank up and con¬ 
nect all three pipes to it. Then, by starting 
them all the spray tank is filled in just the 
right proportions! As all ought to know, 
the principle in the Bordeaux Mixture which 
is supposed to help or prevent plant disease 
Is blue stone or sulphate of copper. We use 
the lime to neutralize the acid of the copper 
—so it will not injure the foliage. I have 
seen a man throw the required weight of 
quicklime into a large hogshead and then 
add water enough to slake it. Then the 
blue vitriol is hung over the hogshead in a 
bag and water run through it till it is dis¬ 
solved. Then the hogshead is filled with 
water, well stirred up and strained off at the 
bottom. We make our mixture by dissolving 
the copper sulphate in a barrel, so as to 
have one pound of sulphate to each gallon of 
water. The lime is fixed in the same way— 
in another barrel. Then we fill the spray 
tank about half full and pour in the lime 
water and copper solution together—gallon 
bv gallon—working the agitator as we pour. 
Thus far we have used four pounds each of 
cooper and lime to .10 gallons of water, but 
this year I expect to use only three pounds 
each. Wo tost our mixture with the blue 
litmus paper. So long as this paper turns 
red we keep pouring in the lime water. I find 
that some people still believe that Bordeaux 
Mixture will kill insects. That is a mistake. 
We must add some form of poison in order 
to kill the leaf-eating insects. The Bordeaux 
alone will not injure the San Josd scale. I 
am told that K.-L. can be used in making it 
so that the kerosene will kill some insects. 
On page 160 we are told how to handle 
seed potatoes to prevent scab. To kill smut 
in oats we we spread the seed on the barn 
floor, and sprinkle them with one pint of 
formaldehyde dissolved in 45 gallons of water. 
We put this on with a watering pot—getting 
the oats quite damp. Then they are scraped 
into a pile and covered with blankets and 
left for an hour and a half. Then take off 
the cover and spread the oats out to dry. 
Remember that the germ which causes the 
smut is on the grain. What we aim to do is 
to kill it before it goes into the ground. 
Sui.phcr “Flour” and “Flowers.” —People 
who buy sulphur know that two kinds are of¬ 
fered. What are they and what is the dif 
ference? Perhaps I can make it clear. Brim¬ 
stone is an impure sulphur. It is made by 
melting the powdered sulphur ore, but con¬ 
tains substances which are not wanted in pure 
sulphur. To get rid of them a process known 
as subliming Is followed. The brimstone is 
heated and sends off a vapor which we recog¬ 
nize in our nose when we strike an old-fash¬ 
ioned match. This vapor moves into a “con¬ 
densing chamber” and of course the impuri¬ 
ties are left behind. While this chamber is 
cold this vapor is condensed into a powder 
which collects on the sides of the chamber 
and is known as “flowers.” This is taken 
out in the form of a powder. When the 
chamber becomes hot, as it does after a few 
days, the sulphur vapor no longer forms a 
powder but condenses in a liquid form. This 
liquid sulphur runs out at the bottom and 
is cooled in molds—known as stick or roll 
sulphur. When these sticks are ground to a 
fine powder the product is known as (lour sul¬ 
phur. Thus we see that the “flowers” repre 
sent a powder naturally formed, while the 
flour is a solid artificially ground. They are 
alike in other ways. The “flowers” cost more, 
and we generally use them. 
Scale Insects. —We are asked again and 
again to describe the San Jose scale so that 
farmers can know it. I suppose there is no 
modern insect that has been so freely pictured 
and described by the scientific men as this 
scale. Let us first tell what it is not —for 
I find many people who see the larger scales 
and conclude that they have the dreaded 
San Jose. You will notice on many young 
trees white patches around the trunks and 
lower limbs. They look like tiny daubs of 
white paint. 'These are the coverings of 
the eggs of the Scurfy bark-louse. Some of 
my trees are badly covered and I know that 
some growers think they are the San Josd. 
That is a mistake. Scrape off the white 
cover and you find a cluster of eggs. The 
living insect is not there, but those eggs will 
hatch out in June and do considerable damage 
if not killed. There is not much use spraying 
for Scurfy bark-louse in Winter, though by 
scrubbing the trees with whale-oil soap or 
caustic soda we can kill many of the eggs. 
Another scale which troubles many is the 
Oyster-shell bark-louse. 'This is a small brown¬ 
ish shell shaped somewhat like an oyster 
shell. You will often find it thickly covering 
the trunks of young trees and vines. As with 
the Scurfy bark-louse this shell does not cover 
the living insect, but only the eggs. It is 
not often that the San .lost'; scale is found 
with the Oyster-shell. Many people become 
greatly frightened when they find these large 
scales, but they must remember that while 
these scales cover the eggs the shell of the 
San Jose scale covers the living creature, 
which has no egg stage. Also the deadly scale 
is so small that it requires a practiced eye 
to detect a single specimen. If a man thinks 
the scale is on his trees he should not trust 
his own judgment, but cut specimens of the 
wood and send them to his experiment sta¬ 
tion. That is the way to make dead sure. I 
will print the following advice, however, for 
those who want to investigate: 
How San Jose Scale Looks. —Trees in¬ 
fested with San Jose scale show four distinct 
appearances, viz. : a few scattering scales, the 
larval stage, a thorough infestation, and the 
crust on a dead or dying branch. Very sharp 
eyes are needed to detect a slight infestation, 
but with a pocket glass, costing 50 cents or 
less, which every fruit grower ought to have, 
the individual scale is readily seen, mind, 
steely gray in color, with a ringed formation 
somewhat resembling the back of a snail shell. 
To the naked eye the larvae, or newly hatched 
scales, look like bits of yellow mist. Through 
the glass they are tiny yellow creatures, rac¬ 
ing around, apparently looking for a good 
spot to settle down. This is the only form 
in which the scale voluntarily moves, and is 
the most dangerous stage, as it may easily 
be carried by the feet of birds to clean trees. 
A thorough infestation gives the twig an un¬ 
natural steely gray color, readily seen, and 
this is the form in which it is usually first 
noticed by those who have not been watchful, 
as the first two stages may easily pass un- 
naticed. The scurfy crust, composed largely 
of dead scales, is the most conspicuous stage, 
but least important, as trees in this condition 
are usually past cure. h. w. c. 
Sprayers Out West 
are alive to the necessity of get¬ 
ting up-to-date spraying outfits 
Recently an expert sprayer was 
sent North by New Mexico fruit 
growers to investigate power 
sprayers. Promptly after making 
his report, we received an order 
for a carload of 
WALLACE POWER SPRAYERS 
to be shipped to Roswell, N. M. 
You want to know about the same 
things that interested the New 
Mexico people. Ask us to send 
you a copy of that written report 
Wallace Power Sprayers are in 
reality power sprayers. No hand 
pumps whatever needed. And 
they do all the work of all kinds. 
They cost a little more than some 
of the alleged power sprayers, but 
they are worth a great deal more. 
Purely automatic, no cost for 
power. 
In our Peerless Gasoline Engine 
Spraying outfit with all brass 
pump, we have the best gasoline 
engine sprayer made. Catalog 
gives all particulars, free. Write 
for it. 
WALLACE MACHINERY CO., Champaign, Ills. 
THE IDEAL GASOLINE SPRAYER 
A steady pressure of 150 lbs. on the 
Nozzles, Automatic Agitators, with 
Brushes for Cleaning Suction Strainers 
are Special Features—fills its own 
tank—and runs so quietly that horses 
are not frightened. Catalogue “A” 
free. 35 Different Models of Spray 
Pumps. 
FIELD FORGE PUMP CO., 
ELMIRA, N. Y. 
KILLS SAN JOSE SCALE 
M b “ y de HAMMOND’S SLUG SHOT WORKS, ™rv“' 
SOLD BY SEED DEALERS OE AMERICA. 
THE 20th 
CENTURY 
SPRAYER 
GOLD MEDAL 
St. Louis 
and Portland. 
Always the Rest. 
1906 
RETTER THAN EVER. 
Don’t lose 25 per cent, 
of your power. Buy 
our Aluminum Rod 
and get the same power 
at the Nozzle Cap 
which you have on the 
Machine. 
Let us tell you how to save 
time, money and your fruit 
and get the highest market 
price. 
THE 1906 NIAGARA GAS SPRAYER. 
Mounted on fifth wheel Electric Truck, with 8*4 foot Steel Tower, Gear Agitator and 825.00 outfit of 
Aluminum fittings. Capacity 100 Gallons. Price 8200. 
THE NIAGARA SPRAYER CO. 
Pioneers of Aluminum Fitting, 
MinniiTSPORT, KTEW YORK. 
