Lime-sulphur

The more important fungicides, the commercial lime

sulphur and the self-boiled lime-sulphur, are practically superseding

Bordeaux as a fungicide, not because they are necessarily better, but

because there is frequently much burning of the foliage and russeting

of the fruit from the use of the Bordeaux. This is unfortunate as the

latter is a rather more effective fungicide as well as more convenient

and pleasant to use. The self-boiled lime sulphur is a combination of

lime and sulphur which is boiled by the heat of the slaking lime

alone, and makes a pretty good substitute for the Bordeaux when it

injures foliage or fruit. This preparation of lime and sulphur differs

from the commercial form used as a winter wash in that it is wholly a

mechanical mixture and not partly chemical like the latter. It may

therefore be used on the foliage in summer at a greater strength,

there being only a very small percentage of sulphur in solution when

the mixture is properly made.



Equal amounts of lime and sulphur are used, these being from eight to

ten pounds each to fifty gallons of water. The mixture is best

prepared in larger quantities so as to get heat enough from the

slaking lime to produce a violent boiling for a few minutes. First,

place say forty pounds of lime in a barrel and pour on just water

enough to start it slaking nicely--about a gallon to each three or

four pounds of lime is usually sufficient. Then add the sulphur and

enough more water to slake the paste, keeping it well stirred

meanwhile. The violent boiling of the lime in slaking will cook the

mixture in from five to fifteen minutes, depending on the quality of

the lime and how fast it is slaked. Just as soon as the violent

boiling is over add enough cold water to stop all action. If this is

not done, some sulphur will unite with the lime and burning may be the

result.



This self-boiled mixture is entirely harmless to apple foliage and

even appears to have a stimulating effect upon it. Against the apple

scab, however, it is not as effective as the boiled wash, or the

commercial preparations. For this disease a strength of from one to

thirty to one to forty (that is about one and one-half gallons of the

prepared mixture testing 31 to 33 Beaume to fifty gallons of water) of

the commercial lime-sulphur is most effective.