Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 June 1877 — A Wash for Fruit Trees. [ARTICLE]

A Wash for Fruit Trees.

Professor Cyras Thomas, State Entomologist of Illinois, says: “Insects and mildews, injurious to the leaves of seedling and root grafts, ear. be kept in subjection or destroyed by the use of a combination of lime and sulphur. Take of quick or unslacked lime four parts, and of common flowers of sulphur one part, (four pounds of sulphur to one peck of lirae}; break up the lime in small hits, then mixing the sulphur with it in a tight vessel (iron is best), pour on them enough boiling water to slack the linie to a powder, cover in the vessel close, as soon as the water is poured on Thi> makes an excellent whitew&stnbr i*} , ch?ir*t"tr.ve«.. ; v,el is

very useful as a preventive of blight ou pear-trees, to cover the wounds in form of paste when cutting away diseased parts; also for coating the trees in April. It may be considered as the one specific for many noxious insects and mildew in the orchards and nursery; its materials should always be ready at hand; it should be used quite fresh, as it would in time, become sulphate of lime and so lose its potency. Wherever dusting with lime is spoken of this should be used. This preparation should be sprinkled over the young plant as soon as, or before, any trouble from aphides, thrips or mildew' occurs, early in the morning while the dew is on the trees. The lime and sulphur combination is destructive to these pests in this way: First, by giving off sulphuric acid gas, which is deadly poison to minute life, both animal and fungoid; and the lime destroys, by contact, the same .things, besides its presence is noxious to them; neither is it injurious to common vegetable life, except in excess, unless the lime, to the foliage of evergreens.”