The Holly chieftain., 1908-09-11
loANoGa gxtors IN THE TOO CON
riNUoUs ysE OF ARsEH'cAL
POISON.
AFFECTS TRUNK ROOT
REsULr o. INVESTIGATIONS eV
THE COLORADO EXPERT
MEMr STATION.
(By DR.. W. P. Headden.)

"Arsenical Poisoning of Fruit
Trees" IL the subject OF bulletin
prepared by DR.. William P. Head
den. professor Of chemistry and geo
logy ut the State Agricultural Col
lege. and issued by the agricultural
experiment station. This bulletin
IL the result OF an investigation con-
Quoted by DIR. Headden to determine
the cause Of the death OF SO many
fruit trees ON the western slope and
In the Arkansas valley, which inves-
tigation, followed by scientific tests,
has led him to the conclusion that
the trees are suffering from systemat-
ic arsenical poisoning. lime poisoning
or both, due to the use of arsenic in
spraying the trees. DR. Headden
has gone into the subject exhaustively
and is unable to reach any other con-
clusion.
Speaking OF means for preventing
the death of fruit trees from this
cause, DR.. Headden says:
Il have no remedy to suggest for
either condition. Preventive meas.
ures are SO far as l can see, our only
recourse. Those which suggest them
selves to me are: to remove the ar
senic laden soil from about the crown
of the tree and replace 1t with fresh
soil; to use the standard brands OF
lead arsenic In preference to the arsen-
ite of lime or white arsenic sal soda
and lime; to use as little lead arsenic
as possible. have been told that good
results have been obtained by using
two and half and even two pounds
Of pasty lead arsenate to 100 gallons of
water, but the spraying must be done
thoroughly.
"Spray no oftener than Is absolutely
necessary. II am not mistaken Prof.
Gillette has found that ninety-five per
cent. Of the effect of the whole sea-
sons spraying was obtained by the
first spraying when thoroughly well
done. Some device should be used to
prevent the spray materiaA from run.
ming down the trunk and collecting at
its base or 1t would be still better to
make provision for gathering the whole
Of the drip. Water rich In alkalies
should not be allowed to flow close
enough to the tree to permit OF the
disposition of the alkalies in the soil
about the trunk of the tree. Concen-
trated lye, II used to kill the kooly
aphis should not be applied to the soil
at the crown of the tree or permitted
to flow down and collect there"
In summarizing the results of his in
vestigatiols and tests, he concludes the
bulletin "ith the following:
First-There Is a large number of
fruit trees in the state which are
suffering rom an affection of the trunk
root.
Second-Thfs trouble begins in by
far the greater number of cases, at
the crown of the tree and subse-
quently involves both trunk and roots.
Third-The first marked symptom is
an early. ripening of the foliage usually
followed by death about midsummer
| of the ensuing year.
Fourth-The crown Of the tree is
| found to be girdled, the bark on por-
| tions of the trunk dead and suHken and
most Of the roots dead; their bark de-
stroyed and the woody tissue discol.
ored, usually light shade of brown
and sometimes exteriorly blackened.
Ftfth-Soluble arsenical compounds
will effect the destruction of The bark,
the staining of the wood, the produc.
ton of the socalled "black heart and
the speedy death Of the tree.
Sixth-Arsenical sprays have been
used in these orchards for number of
years.
Seventh-These arsenical compound.
Aave accumulated in the SOIL
Eighth-The accumulation in the soil
In an insoluble form has already passed
far beyond the limit of danger for ar.
senics In soluble form.
Ninth-The insoluble arsenical com
pounds are being converted into solu.
Bile ones in the soil.
Tenth-The alkalies are the agents
effecting the solution of>the arsenic. Nv
alkalies, ] mean, sodic carbonate. 40.
die sulfate and sodic chloride.
Eleventh-The lime salts, viz: the
sul1ate gypsum and the carbonate dc
mot effectively protect the arsenical
compounds from the solvent action ol
the alkalies.
Twelfth-Systematic poisoning ma,
Jake place, probably does by absorb
ton OF the arsenic with the nutritiye
solutions taken up. by the feeding roots
but the greater portion of the trouble
appears to be from local irritant pois
oning. i-'
Thirteenth-The arsenical poisoning
Is, IN all probability, In many cases
complicated by lime poisoning.
Fourteenth-The arsenic in the ar
senate OF lime is more readily brouph,
into solution than that of the lead AZ
senate. "0 al
Fifteenth-It is probable that tn,
lime or mari in the soil and subso,l Il
also an agent acting conjoint,y wifi
the arsenic in producing some of the
trouble. 'At