The Cairo bulletin., 1909-07-25
ARsENArE SPRAY SAFE.

Prof. Brooks Points Out Difference
Between Conditions In West and in
Massachusetts.
Prof Brooks of the Massachusetts
agricultural college at Amherst de-
clares that spraying with arsenates is
not dangerous. He says articles which
have been published in some of the
newspapers of the state calling atten-
ton to the fact that Prof Headden OF
Colorado believes that he has proved
that the use of arsenates in spraying
for insects is dangerous and that it
has in numerous instances caused the
death of trees. deal with a matter of
such great Importance that it seems
desirable in order that the public may
neither be msled nor unnecessarily
alarmed, to state that Prot Headden's
conclusions are not generally accepted
either by entomologists, -b4S nists or
horticulturists connectedAE the diff
ferent experiment station1 AShe coun-
NY dS DeliS ItIldult.
DR.. f. B. Ball. entomoloesst of the
Utah experiment station wis has paid
particular attention to this subject,
says in the conclusion of an address
delivered before the Utah horticultu-
raj society: That the conditions de-
scribed by DR.. Headden and attributed
to the effects of arsenical spraying
occur over widely distributed areas
and have killed thousands OF trees on
which no arsenic has ever been used.
and that therefore arsenical poisoning
cannot be the primary cause OF this
condition; that the only trees posi-
poisoning were the two to which So
luhle arsenite was applied, a COM
pound which no one has ever used fol
spraying purposes"
The soil characteristics throughout
the region with which poth Dr.. Head
den and DR.. Ball are mos< familiar
are radically different from those OK
listing here In many localities the
western soils are strongly impregnat
cd with alkali and DR.. Ball believes
that it is the injurious effect of this
alkali, combined with injudicious use
of water in irrigation that Is chiefly
responsible for the trouble with or
Chard trees which Dr. Headden as
cribes to spraying with arsenical poi
sons. DR.. Ball, however, points out
that there is a possibility of danger
from excessive spraying on strongly
alkaline soils since the action of the
alkali in such soils might to some
slight degree tend to bring the arsenic
into solution.
1t is not the practice of Massachu'
sets TO use SOLUBLE arsenic compounds
in spraying. and it is not the belief
of the chemists of the STATEN at Am
herst that the insoluble arsenates
which are used will become soluble
in our soils, which never contain al
kali in any considerable quantity
While, therefore, indiscriminate and
excessive spraying is in all cases in
advisable, all the experts of the Mas.
sachusetts agricultural experiment
station are agreed in believing thai
the use of arsenates in accordance
with directions published by the ex
pertinent station, and as practiced by
the gypsy moth commission, is not
attented with danger to the trees OF
to the persons consuming the fruit OF
the trees. In proof of the soundnsss
OF this view attention is called to The
fact that in Massachusetts,, where ar
senic compounds have been more e%.
tensively and longer used in spraying
than anywhere else. not a single in.
stance is known either among oreharc
or shade trees where injury Other
than slight burning of the Foliage dae
to excessive applications or improper.
ly prepared materials has ever follow
ed.