The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-03-15

theories of some one who may honestly
think he knows all about such matters.
Any one at all conversant with the
conditions of things knows that the
spraying done on the Pacific Coast with
the lime-sulphur wash Is a complete
success when it is properly prepared
and is properly applied, while the re-
ported failures come mostly from the
East. There the matter is to some
extent in the experimental stage. Not
only is the lime-sulphur wash tried,
but many other preparations including
various oils, In the same section the
people are trying numerous methods
and short cuts in preparing the lime
sulphur. Our best informed fruit grow
ers here have passed the experimental
stage and are settled in the conviction
that nothing is equal to the lime-sul-
phur we'll boiled till 1t has an amber
color. Whether this wash shall be
prepared on the farm or bought from
some reliable firm matters not. Any
preparation that is not we'll prepared
will cause a failure, and any firm sell
ing such material will soon find itself
out of business. Large firms of fruit
growers will most likely prepare their
own spray material for 1t is cheaper
and can be made absolutely effective,
while those who have small orchards
will buy the prepared material.
/ have sometimes made mention of
the fact that some very poor work is
sometimes done by persons who are
professional sprayers. l have heard
of case where a man who had fit
ted up the necessary outfit for spray
ing and went about doing work at SO
much per tree or so much per gallon
for the spray material, did actually
spray with a preparation of paris
green, lime and water, with which to
destroy the green aphis. 1t must never
be forgotten for one moment that we
must spray with the kind of material
adapted to the kind Of insect or dis
ease to be controlled, and also at the
right time, l know a case where a
man had his orchard sprayed for scale
before he ever had any. That work
and material were thrown away. Very
rarely can we spray as preventive.
This may be done in the case of some
fungous disease, but IL we spray ever
SO thoroughly for the cooling moth
before we have this pest 1t will not
prevent it's introduction. In Califor-
MIA one of the courts has rendered a
decision that if the professional spray
err has not accomplished the object
sought in doing the work he can not
collect his pay An orchardist hired
man to spray his orchard for the de-
struction Of the scale. The work
amounted to several hundred dollars.
but the scale was not killed and the
orchardist refused to pay the bill. Suit
was brought, but the court decided
that as the man was employed as a
professional or an expert, he could
not collect unless the work was eff
fective. The man did not hire him
merely to do some work, but to ac-
complish certain results. He was not
to be paid simply for the time he
spent and the use Of materials, but to
rid the mans orchard of the scale,
and this he failed to do. l think no
sensible man will question the justice
of this decision. If we employ a ply
stefan to treat us and it appears he did
not understand his business, he not only
cannot collect his bill, but is liable
for damage for malpractice. We pay
physician for professional work, and
If he can not render the service we
seek by reason of his ignorance he
is liable for damages. Just so in the
case of professional sprayer, if he
fails to secure results. He ought not
to be paid but might be prosecuted
for damages. Sometimes men go
around as professional grafters but are
grafters only in the figurative sense
and ruin orchards. I know of one
case where one of these peripatetic
grafters cut a mans orchard all to
pieces, but not one graft in a thousand
grew, and the orchard was ruined.
Should this man be paid for this work