Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-01-28
Cactus Solution Valuable In Making
Arsencal Sprays Adhere To Plants

Washington. ID. c.. Jan. 2s.-An cnto-
mologist of the department of agriculture
who had seen Mexicans add cactus to
whitcwaSh in order to make it stick a.
boards. derived from this the idea that cac-
tus solution would make ars-nical SPRAYS
Tor killing insects adhere to plants and
thus protect the plants against insect raw
age, for - longer period. ~ the result of
u series of experiments with the ordinary
prick, pear" tOpuntia lindheImcri) En-
gclm. which i plentiful IN the Southwest.
II has been found that II siicked prickly
pears or indeed any other cactus Of suf-
hcicnl size are added To the water before
the zinc ~ar~cnitc or Paris green aud the
lune are put IN. the mixture will stick tn
the plants much better and be- effective for
a mnch longer period. The experiments
were made with tn cucumbc. and similar
plants which are attacked BY the helted
cucumber beetle. ond II was tonnd that in
regions where prickly pears are obtainable
the method l. excellent To present damage
bv in~rts with habits similar to those Of
The hrlted cucumber beetle. -nrh ~ the
twelve spotted cucumber beetle. etc.
The method used wa~ a. follows: The
splne were first burned from the pricklv
pears, then sliced nj right angles Ia the
Splnes or IN eases of large pears. cut both
ways. The sliced cactus was then put in
water and allowed 10 soak over night. II
was found that ID pounds Of ~piny cactus
10 30 gallons of water i about the propcr
proportion. Where too much cactus i
used II interfcrcs with the spray. The wa
ter overnight draws Out The mucilarinnu-
substance from the cactus which makes the
adhesive for the poisonous substances.
Cactus grown on low. wet -oil po~~e>~c,
less Of tins mucilaginous substance and
more wafer than cactus growing IN high
dry regions. The latter Is, Therefore. pre-
terablc
Another test was made With cactus So
luton a. compared with whale uil soap.
Very careful notes were made and II was
found thai the soap c~quallcd the cactus in
spreading power but the cactus spray ad-
hered better than the soap spray. There
Tore the catcus wa, favored. since heavy
dcws will wash poison with slight adhesive
qualities from the foliage ia 4 short time.
The water from the cactu, Was drawn
of, and with 1t ~ one sci Of experiments,
were mixed three pounds of zine ar~cniic
with fifty gallon, OF water. Thi~ Wa used
IN sprays on sugar beet plant, infested
with the striped cucumber beetle. Check
experiments showed that IN about six day,
after spraying all the beetles were dead.
In another experiment one half pound
ct Paris green and two pound, ot lime were
used with fifty gallons Of the natter of the
cactus solution Again the pray. within
a few days. killed all the beetles.
Experiments we're then made with the
lead arsenate and thi>. II was found. lid
not make a satisfactory combination with
The cactus solution a. Il produced prccipi-
taiion and coagulation. which inrcrfrrrd
with the spraying. The c-xpcrimrutrr-
checked up their results by using solution
without cactus and using pa~tc~ "r other
forms Of arscnicaI~. Following arc their
conclusions: