361 
The cost of the ammoniacal copper carbonate will vary in different 
portions of the country. The wholesale price of copper carbonate in 
the Eastern cities is about 40 cents per pound. To this about 3 cents 
should be added for freight to the Pacific coast, making the cost 43 
cents per pound in California. Ammonia (26°) can be had at 8 cents 
per pound in the East, and should not exceed 10 cents per pound in 
California. At these prices the cost of the ammoniacal copper carbon¬ 
ate solution, made according to the above formula, would be $1 per 
100 gallons. This cost may be reduced by making the copper carbo¬ 
nate at home from sulphate of copper and sal soda, as follows: 
To make copper carbonate .—Dissolve in a large wooden tub 6 pounds of copper sul¬ 
phate in hot water. In another wooden vessel dissolve 7 pounds of sal soda in hot 
water. When both solutions are cool pour the soda solution into the copper solu¬ 
tion and fill the tub with water. Unite these mixtures slowly or they will overtiow. 
Stir thoroughly after the water is added and allow the solution to stand twenty-four 
hours; then draw off all the clear liquid with a siphon. Fill the tub with water, 
stir, and again allow it to stand twenty-four hours.and settle, and then draw off the 
liquid as before. Dry the substance remaining, which is mostly carbonate of cop¬ 
per. When dry it should be a light green powder. The sediment may be dried in 
an earthen jar kept in a kettle of boiling water or in the sun. 
If the sulphate of copper and sal soda are of good quality, which 
may be told by the deep blue of the former and the transparency of the 
latter,* the quantity given in the above formula should make 2.J pounds 
of the carbonate. 
The average wholesale price of copper sulphate in the East is 6 cents 
per pound and that of sal soda 1J cents. The Santa Fe Railroad Com¬ 
pany lias quoted freight rates on these chemicals from Chicago to Santa 
Ana at 1J cents. This makes the cost of copper sulphate on the 
Pacific coast cents and of sal soda 3 cents per pound. At these 
rates 6 pounds of copper sulphate and 7 pounds of sal soda would cost 
66 cents; and as this quantity makes 2^ pounds of the carbonate, the 
cost per pound of this chemical, when made at home, is 26 cents. For 
45 gallons of spray, according to the above formula, there would be 
used 5 ounces of carbonate, worth 8 cents, and 3 pints of ammonia, 
worth 30 cents, a cost of 80 cents for 100 gallons, or a saving of 20 cents 
per 100 gallons by the home manufacture of the carbonate. At the 
above prices for copper sulphate, sal soda, and ammonia, when used to 
make modified eau celeste, 45 gallons would cost 75 cents, or $1.66 per 
100 gallons. 
The amount saved by using the ammoniacal copper carbonate instead 
of the modified eau celeste is worth considering where a large orchard 
is to be sprayed. With the other advantages already enumerated, the 
* Air-slaked sal soda or pale blue sulphate of copper should never be used in any 
spray work. If the former be used in making copper carbonate, a magma will be 
formed when the two mixtures are united, which will prevent the satisfactory com¬ 
pletion of the process; and if it be used in making the modified eau celeste the acid 
of the spray will remain so strong as to burn the foliage. 
