e minutes in a kettle over a fire, or in a barrel
or other suitable tank by steam, strained, and then diluted to 50
gallons. This is the wash regularly used against the San Jose scale. It
may be substituted for Bordeaux mixture when spraying trees in the
dormant state. Commercial lime-sulphur may also be used in place of this
homemade wash. Use one gallon of the commercial lime-sulphur to nine
gallons of water in the dormant season.

SELF-BOILED LIME-SULPHUR WASH

The self-boiled lime-sulphur wash is a combination of lime and sulphur
boiled only by the heat of the slaking lime, and is used chiefly for
summer spraying on peaches, plums, cherries, etc. as a substitute for
the Bordeaux mixture.

Lime 8 lb.
Sulphur 6 to 8 lb.
Water 50 gal.

The lime should be placed in a barrel and enough water poured on it to
start it slaking and to keep the sulphur off the bottom of the barrel.
The sulphur, which should first be worked through a sieve to break up
the lumps, may then be added, and, finally, enough water to slake the
lime into a paste. Considerable stirring is necessary to prevent caking
on the bottom. After the violent boiling which accompanies the slaking
of the lime is over, the mixture should be diluted ready for use, or at
least enough cold water added to stop the cooking. From five to fifteen
minutes are required for the process. If the hot mass is permitted to
stand undiluted as a thick paste, a liquid is produced that is injurious
to peach foliage and, in some cases, to apple foliage.

The mixture should be strained through a sieve of twenty meshes to the
inch in order to remove the coarse particles of lime, but all the
sulphur should be worked through the strainer.

GLOSSARY

To enable young readers to understand the technical words necessarily
used in the text only popular definitions are given.

=Abdomen=: the part of an insect lying behind the thorax.

=Acid=: a chemical name given to many sour substances. Vinegar and lemon
juice owe their sour taste to the acid in them.

=Adult=: a person, animal, or plant grown to full size and strength.

=Ammonia= (_ammonium_): a compound of nitrogen readily usable as a plant
food. It is one of the products of decay.

=Annual=: a plant that bears seed during the first year of its existence
and then dies.

=Anther=: the part of a stamen that bears the pollen.

=Atmospheric nitrogen=: nitrogen in the air. Great quantities of this