Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-03-12

There is no doubt but that dormant
spraying is necessary in practically
every orchard of West Virginia. The
San Jose scale has become distributed
so thoroughly over all of the state and
multiplies so rapidly in a single season
that the fruit growers must apply some
strong corrosive spray each year be-
fore the leaf buds open if they hope
to keep this dangerous insect under
control and maintain the health OF
their trees. Although the San Jose
scale is the main insect combated by
the dormant sprays, the blister mite,
another insect, is also controlled by
these sprays. Peach leaf curl, fun
gus disease, is also controlled, and
many of the tiny eggs of the green
aphis are destroyed at this time.
The Sprays To Use.
While some of the miscible oils,
such as Scalecide, are used with good
results against the scales, and Bor-
deaux Mixture or a strong copper sui
phate solution will prevent the peach
leaf curl if applied before the buds
break, still we have a spray which
will do the work Of both OF these at
once In addition it is cheaper, easier
to make, just as easy to apply, and
often is more effective. This last spray
is the Lime-Sulphur Solution. Large
fruit growers can we'll afford to make
this solution at home, but it will prob
ably pay the small fruit grower with
only few trees to buy the CONNER
cial form, rather than to spend the
time and money in getting the equip
ment necessary for making the solu-
ton.
Preparation Of the Solution.
In making the concentrated spray,
generally 50-gallon lots are made at
time; this requires 40 lbs. of fresh
lump lime 5000 pure) and so lbs. of
sulphur -four, or We have the formula,
40 lbs. lime, so lbs sulphur and so gal
Ions of water. The spray can be made
in an iron kettle, with an open fire
beneath it, or can be made with live
steam, if this is available, and should
then be made in a wooden tank or bar
rel. II made in a kettle, the kettle
should hold about 60 gallons, so that
the full fomula can easily be made.
Start the lime shaking with about s or
10 gallons of hot water, adding the
Jumps of lime slowly, so that the boil
ing will not take place too strongly
In the meantime make the sulphur up
into thin paste with some water and
then gradually add this to the shaking
lime, adding the mixture often until
the lime is completely slaked. Add
water up to so gallons and boil gently
for one hour, stirring the mixture from
time to time. Keep the amount up to
30 gallons by adding water occasional
ly to replenish that which evaporates
during the boiling process. The lime
may be bought from any good lime
company, if it is guaranteed 900 pure
and is in the fresh-burned, lump con.
dition. The sulphur can be bought
from various sulphur companies, such
as Battelle & Renwick, 165 Front
street, New York City, and the Bergen
port Sulphur Works, 100 Williams
street, New York City. This will cost
about $500 per hundred pounds, in
Guiding freight The materials for
barrel of the solution would thus cost
$3.50. After the Lime-Sulphur Solu-
ton is made, which can be done dur
ing the winter, it should then be cork
ed up tight until the time for using is
at hand.
Testing and DiIuting the Solution.
AS this solution is now in a very
concentrated form, 1t must first be