Arsenical Poisoning of Fruit Trees. 
33 
a suggestive question which I have not ventured to answer. 
An elm tree first called to my attention by Mr. H. A. Richardson, 
Horticultural Inspector for Delta County, presents a most 
interesting case. Some may feel that the trees previously mentioned 
had in effect been sprayed; at least the cases need explanation in 
order that the claim that they had never been sprayed may be under¬ 
stood. There is no doubt but that the first two trees mentioned had 
not been sprayed, but no one can at this time so much as surmise what 
may have happened whereby the arsenic may have been applied around 
the base of the tree. With this elm tree, whose condition in October, 
1909, is sho^rn in Plate V the case is different. The bushes in 
the left hand side of the picture are lilacs; in the background are 
apple trees of different ages. That portion of the background occu¬ 
pied by young apple trees was formerly a pear orchard. In the spring 
of 1909 this tree was in such a condition that its owner became anx¬ 
ious about it, especially so as it is a tree the care of which has been 
a pleasure and whose growth has delighted the owner because it has 
attached to it memories and a sentiment which none but the owner 
may share. The conditions found are fairly indicated by the limb on 
the right; the leaves were dying and this side of the tree was in evident 
distress; the condition was so bad that the people were glad to have 
the limb taken for examination. The wound made in removing the 
limb bled freely and smelled very offensive. The interior portion 
of the limb was very dark and examination showed the presence of 
a considerable quantity of arsenic. I have endeavored to find some¬ 
thing in the history of this tree which would explain this but I have 
found nothing. \ 
A roadway passes in front of the tree and on this side of the road 
is the kitchen garden. The tree has never been sprayed. They did 
mix a little spray material, lime, sal soda and arsenic, just beyond 
the lilac bushes once, now seven or more years ago. I have been 
unable to find any other specific cause for the trouble. This case has 
been so interesting to me that I have made four visits to the place. 
The condition of the tree grew steadily worse throughout the past 
season. Beginning at the point where the limb was cut off one can 
follow an injured strip running somewhat spirally down the trunk. 
It is lost at the crown of the tree. I give this fact because I followed 
this injured strip expecting to find it leading to an injured root which 
I might follow to the place where they had mixed the arsenite of lime 
but I was disappointed. So with the aid of Mr. Herrick, our present 
Field Horticulturist in this section. I traced out the roots of this tree 
to see if we could find any of them either dead or showing injury. 
We traced five different roots for a distance varying from twenty to 
twenty-five feet and found no external injury to the roots except at 
one place and this I am sure had been done by the ploughshare. 
We, however, found some roots which were not healthy as they had 
spots on them and 1 on stripping off the bark we found the inner side 
of the bark and the tissues of the root colored brown or brownish 
