The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-04-08


it is best to place the lime in an ordinary
water pail and add only small quantity
OF water at first, say quart or a quart
and a half. When the lime begins to
crack and crumblc and the water to dis
appear add another quart or more, cxer-
cising care that the lime at no time gets
too dry. Toward the last considerable
water will be required. but if added care
fully and slowly perfectly smooth paste
will be obtained, provided, of course,
the lime is of good quality. When the
lime is Stacked add sufficient water to
the paste to bring the whole up to Is
gallons. When the copper sulphate is
entirely dissolved and the lime is cool,
pour the lime milk and copper sulphate
solution slowly together into barrel
holding so gallons. The milk of lime
should be thoroughly stirred before
pouring, The method described insures
good mixing, but TO complete this work
the barrel of liquid should receive a
final stirring. for at least three minutes,
with a broad wooden paddle.
1t is now necessary to determine
whether the mixture is perfect-that is,
if it will be safe to apply it to tender
foliage. To accomplish this, two simple
tests may be used First, insert the
blade of penknife in the mixture, al
lowing it to remain there for at least
one minute. If metallic copper forms on
the blade, or, in other words, if the
polished surface of the steel assumes the
color of copper plate, the mixture is un-
safe and more lime must be added. If,
on the other hand the blade of the
knife remains unchanged it is safe to
conclude that the mixture is as perfect
as it can be made. As an additional
test, however, some of the mixture may
be poured into an old plate or saucer,
and while held between the eyes and the
light the breath should be gently blown
upon the iquld for at least half a minute
If the mixture is properly made, thin
peliclc, looking like oil on water, will
begin to form on the surface OF the
liquid. If 10 pellicle forms, more milk
OF lime should be added"
Ammoniacal Solution of Copper Car
bonate-"This preparation, as now
generally used, contains
water ,.,................ As gallons.
Stronger aqua ammonia ..,.....3 pintS,
Copper carbonate ...........5 ounces.
The copper carbonate is first made in
to a thin paste by adding pint and
half of water The ammonia water is
then slowly added, and if OF the proper
strength l. G., 20 degrees, a clear, deep
blue solution is obtained, which does
not become cloudy when diluted to IS
gallons.
"'Thc ammoniacal solution OF copper
carbonate being a clear liquid, its pres
encc on the leaves fruit, and other parts
OF the treated plants is not so noticeable
as where the preparations containing
lime are used.
IN case it is desired to keep the
strong solution as a stock preparation,
the bottle or lug in which it is placed
should be tightly corked."
The Brown-eyed disease of coffee al
most invariably appears first on poorly
nourished trees growing in unfavorable
situations.
If observations made here in Hawaii
confirm those made by Noack in Brazil,
that the spores OF this fungus are carried
from one plant to another by insects,
thus bringing about the spread OF in
fection through plantation from sickly,
poorly devcloncd trees TO the more yig-
orous and healthy ones, a proper method
of treatment OF this fungus disease
would be 10 destroy the torpedo flies and
aphis by insecticides. This treatment
should be followed by tillage OF the soil,
the use of fertilizers, the planting OF
wind-breaks, or any other remedial
measure practicable to improve the ygor
OF the coffee tree, since II Is an accepted
fact that trees Ia a vigorous healthy
condition are lar more resistant, both Ia
insect pests and fungus disease, than
trees that are poorly developed
JARED g. SMITH,
Honolulu. II T., March 10, lO0l