ALABAMA
Agricultural Experiment Station
OF THE
Alabama Polytechnic Institute
AUBURN
J. F. DUGGAR, Director.
CIRCULAR No. 4
(May, 1910)
Information to Nurserymen in regard to
Fumigation of Nursery Stock.
BY
P. F. WILLIAMS and J. C. C. PRICE,
Department of Horticulture.
Opelika, Ala.:
The Post Pubishing Company,
1910

INTRODUCTION.
To further protect the horticultural interests of Alabama
the State Board of Horticulture at its regular meeting in
1909 added the following to the list of insects considered
dangerons and as constituting infestation in trees and
Iplants:
S. Brown Tail Moth (Euprotis chrysorflwca).
This pest is most liable to be introduced on nursery stock
imported from Europe.
9. (ipsy Moth (Portlwtria cisp).
Also most 'liable to be brought into the State on ns i y
stock from ,Europre. This attacks all trees and shrubs both
evergreen and deciduous. All persons receiving nursery
st ock which has been imported from'Europe should notify
ihe State Horticulturist immediately upon its arrival.
Such stock should not be opened until authorized by thme
state Horticulturist.
At the 1910 meeting of thme State Board of Horticulture
the following rules app~lyinlg to nurserymen 'of Alabama
ands of other ,states were made :
Rule 9. All scions and bud sticks must be Iprop~erly f;imi-
gated before being shipped within 'or into this State.
Rule 10. All Alabama nurserymen in order to receive
the benefit of the S tate nursery inspection shall p~roperly
equip themselves for fumigating their stock at the time of
each regular, annual inspection of nurseries and shall pro-
vide themselves with all materials necessary for doing such
work.
DIRF CTIONS FOR MAKING A FUMIGATING
HOUSE.
A good fuingatiug house must be built air-tight to pre-
vent ,the gas from escaping. Such a house can be construct.
ed bv a cuartrfuJ workmian. A nurserymn handling from
$5,000 to- $25,0 worth of stock will require a house con-
taining from 800 to 1,000 cu. ft. of space, while one doing
less business will require a, house containing from 200 to
800 cn. ft. of space.
The house may be built with the floor lplan squareor
rectilinear--depending upon the ie of the house needed-
with the roof sloping one way. A hons containing 850
cu. ft. of space would have the following dmiuenos, 10
ft. x 10 ft. floor, height 10 ft. in front and 7 ft. in the rear.
The walls, floor and roof are nde double with heavy build-
ing paper between. The 'studding is 2 in. x 4 in. pine.
covered on the outside with nmtchel flooring, free from
knots, laid horizontally, then a layer of good quality build-
ing paper should he put on and the edges Iapped about 6 in.
Good inch boards are then placed vertically over tbis, bat-
tened with 3 in. strips. The roof rafters are placed. inside
the plates so that the first layer will fit clotse. The plates
should be covered with building paper so that there will
be no crevices for gas to escape. On this should 'be a layer
of matched flooring, paper, and inch hoards, thien goodl
roofing paper. The -floor, beams are covered with good
boards, then paper, and lastly, with flooring. A door 3
1-2 ft. x 6 1-2 ft. is placed in one side and a small window
2 1-2 ft. x 3 ft. for ventilating is placed at the highest point
diagonally opposite the door. The door and window are
made double with paper between them like the sides. They
should 'be neatly fitted, the edges beveled and covered with
strips of canton flannel so as to fit tightly when closed.
Heavy hinges are necessary to hold them in place. The
fastenings should be such as to allow the doors to be easily
Fig. 1. Front view of fumigating house. Fig. 2. End of house. Fig. 3. Detail showing latch.
closed or opened. The fastening can be made of wood and
held in place by a foot screw. This should be 
18 inches
long. (Ste fig. 3).
Fumigating Box. It is almost necessary to have a box
for fumigating smiall lots of nursery stock such as roses,
scions, and budsticks. The box should be air tight and
made of matched flooring, building paper, etc.
A box 5 1-2 ft. x 3 ft. x 3 ft. ill contain approximately
50 cu. ft., while a box 7 x 4 x 31-2 ft. will contain approxi-
mately 100 cu. ft.
The sides and ends of the box should be made double
like that of the house and the frame work of the box may
be the same as that of a, shipping box for nursery stock.
It should contain one opening or door hinged on one side
and be supplied with clanps to fasten down tightly. The
edge of the door or lid should be covered with cloth so asto
make it fit closely. The jar for the reception of the chemi-
cals is placed in one corner of the box and no stock should
be pIlaced directly over it.
I)IR.D CTJONS FOR FUMIGATING THES STOCK.
This should be done under the direction of a competent
person. An earthen jar should be provided, glazed on the
inside and of about two gallon capacity. A glass graduate
with the ournces plainly. marked,'on the side should b~ pro-
vided, also . pair of small scales which will weigh ounces.
The best grade of chemicals must be used. The Cyanide of
1'otassium_ should be 98 per cent pure. This can be obtained
,o leading druggists or the chase. Nursery Co., Wuntsville,
Ala. The Sulphuric Acid should be what is known, as
commrercial,. 98 per cent pure, and can be obtained as th&e
above.
The trees should be placed in the house and care should
be taken not to crowd them. A spar should be left near
the center of the room for the jar. It is best to have the
trees placed on slat frames so as to allow the gas to circu-
late freely under and through the "trees. These slat frames
should be from 4 to 6 in. in, height; they can be easily
miiade by tacking strips of flooring onto, 3 ft. lengths of
2 x 4 in. pieces set edgewise.
The window should be fastened before preparing the
(large. Tihe water should always be placed in the jar first
and then tha acid poured in slowiy allowing it to run down
the side of the jar. It is then ready for the addition of the
lpotaslsiul cyanide. It is 'best to place the cyanide in a small
paper bag, dropping it, bag and all into the jar containing
the water and acid. Then close the door quickly, taking
(are not to breathe the gas while in the room.
CAUTION. The fumes of this gas are deadly poison and
the operator should be very careful not to breathe while
in the house after dropping the bag of cyanide into the jar.
The door and window should remain closed 40 minutes and
they should l'emain open at least 15 minutes before entering
the house.
Table showing dinensions of different!,ized houses amd
boxes amnd the amount of chemicals to be used in one charge
for nursery stock:
HOUSE.
Length Width Height Height Cubic
(front) (rear) contents
5 1-4 ft. 5 ft. 8 1-2 ft. 7 ft. 203
8 ft. 7 3-4 ft. 9ft. 7ft. 540
10 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft. 7 ft. 850
12 ft. 12 ft. 11 ft. 7 ft. 1300
Box.
5 1-2 ft. 3 ft. 3 ft. .... 49 1-2
7 ft. 3 1-2 4 ft. .... 98
CHARGE FOR GENERAL, STOCK.
Cubic Water Sulphuric acid Cyanide Potassium
contents (fluid ozs.) (fluid ozs.) (ozs. by wt.)
50 1 1-2 1-2 1-2
100 3 1 1
200 6 2 2
500 1555
850 25 1-2 8 1-2 8 1-2
1300 39 13 13
C1HARGn FOR EVERGREENS., RosEs AND BUm)S. TICKS.
50 1 
1-3 
1-3
100 2 2-3 2-3
200 4 11--3 1 1-3
500 10 31-3 3 1-3
850 17 5 2-3 5 2-3
1300 26 8 2-3 8 2-3