The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-07-29
INSECTICIDES.

me toilowlng paper on 'lnsccticldeN was
read BY Prof ~ W. Mally, State entomo,.
ogist:
Aside from the commercial value repre-
scented In insecticides their value In farm
and orchard work depends upon the fol.
lowing factors
!. Purity Of composition, O. Correct and
thorough preparation, Z. Apparatus best
suited for specific purposes OF application.
4. Thoroughness In application. B. Proper
time OF application. g. Correct selection Of
Insecticides for specific purposes,
As TO the hrst tbs people OF Texas have
the benefit Of Inv which enables them
TO send In samples 20 the State chemist to
he tested for purity. |, is to he regretted
that there is such widespread indifference
among the people as TO awaiting themselves
OF this state law and protecting themselves
from loss in the purchase OF adllteratcd
products. After nearly or quite four years
since the law went into effect we nnd most
Of the dealers In insecticides hstonished 60
hear Of such law when they are called
upon 10 stop business and Grst comply
with the law for the sale of lusectlcidns.
Even q smaller per cent OF the people ac.
tuRily using insecticides ever note whether
What they buy IL sold them under the lahci
Of the State chemist. This tx not as Il
should be, aud tho public ought 30 he
aroused on this all important matter or
pure insecticides, FOR upon their purity de.
ponds the results.
Following this thcN Is scaudaluus dis.
regard for accuracy In the close adherence
10 formulas and directions for prepare
ton, These are apparently treated as n
they were mere opinions As a matter OF
fact, formulas are the result Of accurate
tests scientifically made, to determine the
best Ingredients ana the best proportions N
which they should he used. This deter
mlued, the people should adhere 60 those
Ingredients and proportions and the method
Of preparation with the greatest prociNou.
Despite the importance OF accuracy In this
mnter VI Is remarkable that mdny oth'r
wise Intelligent met guess at It," nle
TINT "the Ingredients are all iu the POI,
aud ] reckon II WIN do all mixed M.
There can be no greater folly. Let u
therefore insist upon accuracy In each step
In tho preparation of Insecticides
The third Important factor not fully nm
derstood Is the selection Of proper nppu-
ratus for the application If the poison
solutions prepared So fpw Of those who
spray can explain the difference between q
sprinkle ana spray ann why the latter
should not only require less material. but
actually cover n greater area. We eau not
too strongly Impress upon the minds ~
practitioners that the days of guessing
q
now select no2sles md apparatus for spo
clio purposes as accurately as the phys-
cian prescribep for wen de0ned diseases.
Let every one lend his Influence aud co.
operation toward securing q strict adher.
ence to recommendation as ia kinds OF M
poratus 70 he used. when same are made
from official or authoritative sources.
AS rule the popular idea MS 10 what Ii
sufficient or proper application Is also
very erroneous. II IS common 10 lind men
who are spraying VINO do not feel salts
ned with their efforts unless the entire
foliage is dripping Wet and every leaf GOV.
cred with thin sheet Of moisture This
Il the worst condition which can be de.
yeioped In any spraying operation. Tho
ideal spray Is the one which produces an
lnterminable mist and settles down upon
the foliage around and underneath az even
~ and az gently rs the midnight dew.
Then each bit Of surface Is evenly covered.
each particle Of lnsecticide is separated
from The other and dries down TO ttE par,
licular place upon the leaf or stem In
manner to insure tho greatest efficiency.
Another pernclous tendency Is 10 walt
until the eleventh hour before spraying is
begun or oven provision made therefor,
The result Is that most all Insect warfare
is wAged during the last or most raveuons
and rulnous stages OF Insect ltc. As a
result insect warfare costs many times
more than there Is any real necessity for
under Intelligent management. If IL were
possible 70 induce every tlller of the soil
10 provide for spraying apparatus and In
sccticides, and keep them In stock ready
for immediate use upon the earliest indi.
cations Of any given Insect attack millions
OF dollars could be saved 10 Texas alone
which are now either lost owing 10
the attack Of Insect pests or are expended
In trying to destroy them. Lot every dne
understand then that there Il n right and
wrong time for making war on Insect
enemies and that II Is important 10 know
Just when 10 make the attack against any
given Insect pest Let every farmer and
fruit grower 'bc up and learning these
propositions.
Perhaps fully AS serious an error as any
Is tho common ne among large class OF
people that Just any iusectcde will do
How often Is It that the arsenicai poisons
are used 20 combat Insects which mnst be
destroyed by contact insecticides and vice
versa. That one remedy Is good aud prnc,
pest Is In Itself no criterion Of It's value
against any other enemy ana certainly not
all others. Let there be constant educa-
tlon therefore III the uses OF specific inscc.
ticides for specific purposes. Let II be I'M
derstood that among insecticides as well
as In medicines there are no ''cure ais"
IL will be noted that the value OF I'm
seetcdes has beer discussed along tine
line OF fundamental principles aud In II
manner that poDular errors and pernlclous
ire in the past may be pointed out aud
corrected In future operations The Stills.
teal phase Of this discussion II a matter
OF Tact and history and needs only TO be
collated. In every community are Instances
whore Insecticides have been used with In.
telllgence and hence with decided adyan.
tage as 10 the quality. volume and value
Of the crops treated IL has been the aim
Of this address TO lead men TO study and
measure the value OF Insecticides from the
practice aud Fronting from their researches
viii deYelop the mor etary results aud value.
IN practice as clearly and as easily as the
midday sun energies from behind a clouded