Mr. M’Clelland:  This summer my plum trees, the leaves all turned brown and came off.  What is the reason?

Mr. Stakman:  When did it happen?

Mr. M’Clelland:  Along in August, I think; July or August.

Mr. Stakman:  What kind of soil were they on?

Mr. M’Clelland:  Clay.

Mr. Stakman:  Did you spray?

Mr. M’Clelland:  Yes, sir, I sprayed.

Mr. Stakman:  What did you use?

Mr. M’Clelland:  Lime-sulphur, I think.

Mr. Stakman:  Did the whole leaf turn brown?

Mr. M’Clelland:  Yes, sir, the whole leaf turned brown and came off.

Mr. Stakman:  How strong did you use the lime-sulphur?

Mr. M’Clelland:  Not very strong.

Mr. Stakman:  If you use very strong lime-sulphur you sometimes get such an effect on both plums and apples.  Sometimes the leaves fall, and almost immediately you get a new crop of leaves.

Mr. M’Clelland:  This was in August.

Mr. Stakman:  There was a perfect crop of new leaves?

Mr. M’Clelland:  Yes, sir.

Mr. Stakman:  My only suggestion would be that you used the lime-sulphur too strong.  That might account for it.

Mr. Sauter:  I never sprayed until this year.  I tried it this year and with good results.  I sprayed my apple trees at the same time, and I sprayed the plums with the same thing I sprayed the apple trees with.  I had nice plums and nice apples; last year I had hardly any.

Mr. Stakman:  What did you use?

Mr. Sauter:  Lime-sulphur and some black leaf mixture.  I used it on the plum trees and the apple trees, and afterwards I used arsenate of lead.

Mr. Stakman:  You didn’t get any injury to the plum trees?

Mr. Sauter:  No, sir, we had nice plums.

A Member:  I have seventeen plum trees, and I have only sprayed with kerosene emulsion and the second time put in some Paris green, and I have never seen any of the brown rot, but there have been a good many of the black aphids on the plum trees, on the end of the branches.  I cut them off and burned them.  I didn’t know whether that would be the end of it or not.

Mr. Ruggles:  Why don’t you use “black leaf 40,” 1/2 pint in 50 gallons of the spray liquid.  It can be used in combination with arsenate of lead and lime-sulphur or arsenate of lead and Bordeaux mixture.

If you wash them with black leaf 40 it will kill all the aphids.  I did that myself this summer.

A Member:  Please give us a little better explanation of what black leaf 40 is.

Mr. Ruggles:  It is an extract of tobacco that is for sale by wholesale drug companies and stores, or you can get it from Kentucky, from the Tobacco Products Company, at Louisville, Ky., or Grasseli Chemical Co., St. Paul.  I am not advertising, Mr. President, but they will send you a small package for seventy-five cents, about half a pint.  Of course, that looks kind of expensive, but it will go a long way.  I think possibly it is the best thing we have to combat lice.