February, ’18] LOVETT: SPREADERS FOR ARSENATE SPRAYS 
69 
Sage Tea 
The material referred to here as sage tea is the solution obtained by 
steeping one pound of cut up leaves and stems of our common prairie 
sage bush of Oregon (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) in one gallon of water. 
The water is brought to a boil, removed from the fire, the sage added 
and the vessel covered and allowed to stand for 12 hours or more* 
when the liquid is drawn off. This sage tea is a brown, oily, emulsion¬ 
like solution. The oils and other ingredients present have not been 
determined but are probably similar to those as given by Robak (3) for 
white sage (.Artemisia frigida Willd). The preliminary tests of the 
materials as a spreader so far made are not conclusive but are surely 
encouraging. 
Casein-Lime Mixture 
The suggestion of the casein-lime mixture was obtained from an 
abstract of an article appearing in the Agricultural Gazette of New 
South Wales, XXIV, pt. 10, p. 868 on spreaders for Bordeaux mixture. 
The material was mixed as suggested there, the procedure being as 
follows: To 3.5 grams of quick lime was added 1.5 grams of powdered 
casein. This material was ground in a mortar to a homogeneous 
mass. The amount to be added to the solution was then weighed out 
and by small additions of water and much stirring finally rendered 
to a thin paste and then added to the general solution. Considered 
chemically we may call this calcium-caseinate and as nearly as we can 
determine at present we probably have formed a colloidal solution. 
The very nature of it, its cheapness, the small amount required and 
apparently desirable qualities make it a material worthy of much addi¬ 
tional study. It is suggested that from 4 to 8 ounces of the mixture to 
100 gallons of solution is probably sufficient to obtain the spreading 
qualities desired. 
Literature Cited 
(1) Tartar, H. V. and Wilson, H. F. 1915. Toxic Values of the Arsenates of 
Lead. Joijr. Econ. Ent., VIII, No. 5, p. 481. 
(2) Lovett, A. L. and Robinson, R. H. 1917. Toxic Values and Killing Efficiency 
of the Arsenates. Jour. Agr. Research, X, No. 4, p. 199. 
(3) Robak, F. 1906. U.S.D.A. Bur. Plant Ind. Bui. 235, p. 21. 
If there is no discussion on this paper, I will pass to the next, “A 
Study of the Toxicity of Kerosene,” by Mr. Moore, of Minnesota. 
Mr. Ruggles will read this paper. 
