The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1917-06-07
CARE FOR THE ORCHARD.
Spray Young Trees With Commercial
Lime Sulphur Solution.

Clemson College. May 31:-Sul-
phur has long been known to be a
fungicide. A few years ago our
present lime-sulphur solution was
developed for the purpose of spray
ing certain plants that have foliage
TOO tender to be successfully spray
ed with Bordeaux mixture. This
solution has proved so successful in
combating both insects and plant
diseases that it is now one of our
standard spray solutions. 1t is
especially valued as winter spray
for killing scale insects and dormant
stages of fungi that remain over
winter on the branches and trunks
of trees and as summer spray for
spraying apples for scab, roses for
mildew, and peaches and plums for
brown rot and scab.
Lime-sulphur has come into such
general use that it is now made and
sold by all of the leading spray man.
ufacturers in the country and is
handled by druggists everywhere.
The commercial lime-sulphur solu-
ton is clear, amber colored liquid,
containing calcium sulphide in solu-
ton. 1t is made from heating lime
and sulphur together. Calcium sui
phide is the active agent that kills
the fungi. This solution is very
caustic and if used in too great con.
centraticn will kill the plants. Prac'
tically all of the commercial solu-
tions of lime. sulphur on the market
are guaranteed to have density of
so degrees Beaume, and dilutiors
are recommended on this basis.
When 1-9 is recommended for spray
ing plants that are dormant. we
mean gallon of lime sulphur with
density of 80 degrees Beaume to 9
gallons of water. 1t is essential
that the density be known because
the more dense the solution the more
soluble sulphur it contains and of
course the stronger it IS.
Commercial lime.sulphur is used
almost entirely now for winter spray
and is being used quite largely for
summer sprays. 1t is perfectly safe
to use it on apples und roses and
other plants with foliage not especi-
ally sensitive. In such case, use l
gallon of commercial lime-sulphur
to 35 gallons of water. With peaches
and plums and some few other
plants that have especially sensitive
foliage commercial lime-sulphur isl
not always safe. Under certain
conditions it seems to injure the
foliage. For peaches and plums,
use l gallon of commercial imesul-
phur to 80 gallons of water. For
apples and roses use l gallon of COM
mercial lime sulphur to 35 gallons of
water. 1t seems better and safer,
however, to use the self-boiled lime
sulphur for these tender foliage
plants for the present. 1t is just as
efficient and never Injuries the foil
age.
In making self-boiled lime-sulphur
use s pouds of fresh quick lime and
8 pounds of sulphur (four) to so
gallons of water. Make this up by
placing eight pounds of fresh lime in
q tub or barrel and add just enough
water to slake it. An excess of
water seems to drown the lime and
retards the shaking process. AS
soon as the lime begins to crumble
apart and a violent boiling is set up,
add eight pounds of sulphur and
stir in thoroughly, adding enough
water to keep any part of the mix
ture from becoming dry or burning.
Keep this we'll stirred and allow the
boiling to continue for from 5 to 10
minutes. Special care should be
exercised at this time to keep any
part of the mixture from becoming
dry. Enough water should be add
ed in fact so that the paste is thin
enough to be easily stirred. After
the boiling has continued for 5 or
10 minutes, enough water should be
added to cool the mixture. 1t isl
then ready to apply. A pump with
. good agritator should be used so
as to keep any part of the mixture
from settling out. Lime sulphur
solution should be applied with force
of about 100 pounds pressure to the
square inch.