The Winslow mail. (Winslow, Ariz.) 1893-1926, 1925-05-26
CAN PREVENT THE
COTTONWOOD TREE
DROPPING COTTON

The following article was
brought to The Winslow Mail by
Mrs. NJ. D. F7itzsimmons, Of 211
West Fourth street. 1t appeared in
the June number of the Scientific
American, and is reprinted in full.
"By spraying the cottonwood
tree with a 2 per cent solution OF
sulphuric acid during the three
weeks between the time when the
catkins appear and when the leaves
are unfolding, Dr.. w H Long, OF
the United States bureau of plant
industry at albuquerque, has dis
covered that the blooms which
shed cotton over lawns and all sur
roundings during a certain period
of the year may be killed success
fully, rendering this otherwise val
liable tree desirable neighbor
''The discovery of this simple
method of keeping the cottonwood
tree neat was made in the follow
ing manner: Dir. Long noticed that
large number of beautiful cotton
wood trees were purposely being
destroyed because they were con-
sidered to be a public nuisance.
others were being pruned back
severely, so that they could not
bear the Objectionable tufts of cot
ton for several years. DR.. Long
at once began considering some
spray which might accomplish the
desired result without otherwise
injuring the beauty or the shade
producing qualities of the trees.
1.-THE cottonwood, Dr. Long ex-
plains, is one of a group of trees
which bloom before the leaves open
in the spring instead of afterward,
as most trees do. There are two
kinds of cottonwood trees, the
male and the female. The flower
which produces the untidy cotton
is borne by the female The cot 1
ton is simply natures way of dis
tributing the seeds of the tree
which it contains, and which the
breeze carries aloft and afar. The
male tree does not produce cotton
It's function is to make pollen with
which the cotton blooms are ferti- /
lized. The female blooms are
green, while the male blooms are
purplish. This makes it easy to 4
distinguish the female trees, and !
thus give them the required spray
ing.
In seeking to discover some
suitable spray indoor tests on
branches of the cottonwood tree
were made at first Different
branches were sprayed with vari-
Gus solutions. A sulphuric acid
solution proved the most efficient
1t kills the blooms within twenty
four hours
''The spray is put on with the
same type of powerdriven sprayer I
that is used for spraying elm trees;
that is, triplex force pump having
three cylinders and giving pres
sure of about 300 pounds per
square inch. Since sulphuric acid /
destroys the ordinary cylinders of
these pumps, cylinders of copper
alloy were used Each tree re-
Quires about ten minutes of spray
ing, and from eight to fifteen gal
Ions of solution.
"The total cost of the work /
ranges from 21c to &c per tree
Dr. Long states that the same kind
of spray also is valuable for use I
in destroying the blossoms of other
trees which bloom before the
leaves put out.
''The acid solution is made in |
small amounts by adding two and
a half fluid ounces of sulphuric /
acid to one gallon of water. In
large amounts, add one gallon of
suIphuric acid to forty-nine gal |
Ions of water. Add the acid TO the |
water, stirring it in. If you add the
water TO the acid it may spatter
and cause severe burns.
"The acid used is the strongest |
commercial grade, which ap-
proaches a strength of 95 per cent. |
If the acid obtainable is not so
strong, use more acid in proper
ton This acid, before dilution,
eats through clothing and Injuries
the skin. While the acid in concen
trated form is strong enough to do
considerable damage, when diluted
for application it does not injure
the lawn under the tree, the paint
on adjacent buildings, nor, accord
ing to DR.. Long, the workmen using
the sprays"