FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
53 
the outer edg^e of the branches. It seems 
to do my trees good. They are dieback 
stock, and the trees this year do not seem 
to show any dieback. I didn’t do any 
thing else, so I think it must be due to 
that treatment. I have also sprayed with 
Bordeaux and killed the dieback. 
Mr. Waite^—Prof. Rolfs, did I under¬ 
stand you to say that lime applied to the 
soil would not correct the conditions 
there ? 
Prof. Rolfs—In our experiments we 
wanted to find out what element in the 
Bordeaux corrected the disease, so we 
applied slaked lime to the soil in the plot, 
and in another plot we used lime on the 
leaves to find out whether the application 
to the leaves was necessary, or whether 
it was necessary to put it on the ground 
where it would be taken up by the roots. 
In the place where we used the lime on 
the leaves or on the ground, it gave us 
negative results; in other words, were 
no better than our checks. But in those 
cases where we used Bordeaux mixture 
on the leaves we got decidedly better re¬ 
sults. We had the lots laid ofif with about 
thirty trees in the plot and went through 
one set and then took another set. Our 
conclusion was that, from the test we 
made, Bordeaux miixture must be applied 
to the leaves to be of advantage in curing 
the dieback. Mr. Waite has spoken more 
of the melanose than of the dieback, but 
it is very analogous to it in its behavior. 
Mr. Waite—I have suggested that you 
use lime. I applied lime tO' the amount 
of 1,000 pounds to the acre and only this 
past winter, and I thought of applying it 
again this summer. 
Prof. Rolfs—There are a good many 
things that may cause this dieback, and 
you want to make sure just what is caus¬ 
ing it when it makes its appearance. Top 
pruning may cause it; carbonate in the 
soil may cause it; or if there is too much 
acid in the soil—humic acid^—that may 
cause it. If it is the latter, lime would 
correct the conditions. 
Member—Is blue stone an antidote for 
humic acid? 
Prof. Rolfs—I think not. I think it 
would have no effect. 
Mr. Waite—I would like to know if 
anyone has cured by inserting blue stone 
under the bark and kept check, so that 
he could tell if it had any effect. 
Mr. Cooper—I had' some trees on our 
place that had the dieback, and I tried 
the experiment. I took every dther tree 
down the row and put blue stone under 
the bark, and it set up a terrible ‘‘spew,” 
but it straightened them right out. Last 
year I applied it just as you would fertil¬ 
izer. 
Member^—What quantity? 
Mr. Cooper—A piece about the size 
of a grain of wheat. 
Member—^How large were your trees? 
Mr. Cooper^—fWe tried it on trees six 
inches through. I had one tree on a little 
five-acre place that certainly was a for¬ 
lorn object, and it was astonishing how 
it picked up. Last year we tried some 
by casting it broadcast and with as good 
results. I mean tO' keep the experiment 
up. ^ 
Mr. Hampton—I had some experience 
with this blue stone Inoculation and find 
where it is used carefully it is very satis¬ 
factory. I have taken trees and inoculat¬ 
ed them in three different places, but I 
never used more than a piece the size of 
a small grain of wheat. Where you use 
more it splits the tree until it looks as 
thought it had been frozen. 
