304 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



moths and millers into them and there they perish. By heading them off in 

 this way, the use of poison is not needed. I am not favorahly disposed to the 

 use of poisons. In connection with the fires or lights used, I prepare a sticky 

 suhstance out of soft soap, to which I add a little molasses. The sweet 

 substance attracts the moth, and the sticky part holds them. This is put on 

 sticks about four feet from the ground. One man cannot successfully combat 

 against the enemy in this mode of warfare, but if all the neighbors unite in 

 it, the insects will be thus exterminated. I think where the work is carried on 

 in a neighborhood a barrel of naphtha could be bought cheap, and this would 

 make the most practicable light. I understand that the female of the canker- 

 worm does not fly, but is attracted to the lights or fires, and is thus made to 

 perish. Carbolic acid diluted with water I find an excellent wash for trees, and 

 also believe it keeps off the borers. I am informed through a German that 

 water in which tomato leaves were steeped would kill insects. I have been 

 very successful in growing the German Prune, and have saved the fruit from 

 the curculio by throwing ashes on the trees, from time to time, — beginning 

 when the tree was in blossom. But above all remedies for destroying insect 

 life I believe the little fires or lights the best, for by this means we in a large 

 measure head off the depredators. 



Dr. W. W. Nichols. — Mr. Baur, how near to each other must or should the 

 lights or fires be in the orchard? 



Mr. Baur. — I use from three to four for an orchard of about 500 trees. 



Mr. Baldwin. — I have used little fires for destroying moths with good results. 

 It has just come to my mind that a gentleman at Ypsilanti used salt around 

 his plum trees, which kept off the curculio, and he thus saved his plums year 

 after year. I am satisfied that the use of salt is of more value than we are aware 

 of. I have no doubt but that it can be used for all our fruit trees. It has a 

 two-fold use : it fertilizes the ground and kills the insects in their embryo state. 

 Last year I started to draw coal ashes which I put around my peaches. There 

 are probably little or no rnanurial properties in the ashes, but I have every 

 reason to believe that it keeps off the peach borer and keeps the ground moist 

 and friable around the trees. It seems to me also that the ashes have the 

 power of drawing moisture, in times of a drouth, out of the atmosphere. 

 This spring I have drawn from a thousand to two thousand bushels for my 

 peach orchard. I put on three to four bushels around each tree. 



Dr. W. W. Nichols. — I tried coal ashes last year around a few hundred cur- 

 rant bushes, and found a decided good effect from it. This spring I had it 

 put around 2,000 bushes. I believe in it from what experience I have had 

 with it thus far. 



Wm. P. Grooves. — Your remedies for destroying insects seem to me to be too 

 expensive, and may cost more in some instances than the value of the fruit. I 

 have been considerably troubled with a worm in my apple orchard which ate the 

 leaves, leaving only the skeleton. The worms appeared suddenly, and have in the 

 same way disappeared. I very much fear them for the future, and have there- 

 fore studied largely on some possible remedy. After learning all I could for 

 the best means with which to fight the worms should they come again, I have 

 concluded to use some kind of a force pump and try the Paris green. 



Dr. W. W. Nichols. — I have a pump which throws a stream of water sixty 

 feet. It cost $8.00. The pump can be adjusted so as to throw a spray which 

 would be just the thing for sprinkling a dilution of Paris green on the trees. 



J. W. Wing. — I would like to say a few words on the subject under discus- 

 sion. The codling moth is our greatest foe. We do well to fight the cause, 



