The Action Of Sulphur As A Fungicide And As An Acaricide

The conclusion arrived at by chemical methods, that the volatile agent produced when sulphur is applied to a heated surface is gaseous sulphur, has been subjected to biological tests in which the fungi Ery-siphe graminis and Sphaerotheca Humulind the gall mite Eriophyes ribis were employed.
The fungi were found not to be sufficiently sensitive to yield satisfactory and concordant results and strong support is given to the view that actual contact of the sulphur particle with the fungus is necessary before fungicidal action can occur.
It was shown that the agent present in air passed over heated sulphur and responsible for the death of the gall mite was not removed by filtration through a heated glass-wool plug, this observation being contrary to the view that the toxic agent is produced initially in solid form.
Filtration through a cooled glass-wool plug only removed part of the volatile agent and it was shown that the gall mite is affected by the traces of sulphur volatilised at ordinary temperatures.
The results of the experiments with the gall mite were in complete accord with those obtained in the previous chemical work.
At relatively large concentrations sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide are without permanent effect upon the gall mite and these gases are therefore not responsible for the acaricidal action of sulphur.