WINTER MEETING AT CARTHAGE. 91 



Now, Mr. Helvern, I wish you would thank the Society for giving me auch 

 good and timely advice as to what I should do with my young orchard. Two years 

 ago, while the Society was in session at Clinton, they who were present will remember 

 the sample of dead trees shown to them there that were attacked and killed by the 

 root-louse or woolly aphis. This disease was present, and had infected and was 

 killing my entire orchard of 1000 trees. You will remember their universal ver- 

 dict was to take up every tree, root and branch and burn them. It was a hard 

 pill to swallow, but 1 saw no other remedy— no other way out of it — and out they 

 went, every tree, and burned up root and branch. I dug, as you know, new holes, 

 got good, sound, healthy one-year-old trees, replanted the entire orchard. I used 

 the kerosene emulsion, the one recommended by the U. S. Commission. I dipped 

 all my trees, and now at two years old 1 have lost out of 10C5 trees only two trees. 

 You have seen my orchard ; 1 wish you would tell the Society what you think of 

 that orchard now. Some trees have made 52 inches growth this year. 1 have 

 Mammoth Black Twig trees that were planted two years ago— one year old at that 

 time. They were only small switches apparently, and many of them now are 7.V 

 feet high, with wide-spreading branches, and trunks as thick as fork-handles. 

 The Mammoth Black Twig outstripped the Ben Davis, making the best growth, 

 strongest and healthiest. 



I cultivated my orchard in corn this year, and dug around my trees three 

 times during the summer. I made a strong solution of soft soap-suds, and with a 

 whitewash brush washed my trees five times during the season. I have a man 

 who will do this job and do it well in two days, costing i-2. I have had it done in 

 one day by one man, and also well done. I consider the soft-soap treatment one of 

 the best known for young growing trees. There is no danger of hurting them, 

 and it keeps them clean of insects that attack the trunk. This fall I have used 

 good fresh lime in making whitewash, and after it is about the consistency of 

 cream I put in one table-spoonful of crude carbolic acid to a bucket full of white- 

 wash, and with this I have whitewashed my trees to protect them against the 

 rabbits. I wish to know, Mr. Helvern, if this preparation will do any harm to my 

 trees ; please ascertain if this will do any harm. 1 have many to tell me it is a safe 

 and sure protection from the rabbit, and will not injure the tree in the least. 1 

 wish you a safe return. i am respectfully, 



J. W. Simpson. 



J. C. Evans — Mr. Simpsou's wash of lime and soda will not kill 

 the trees. 



S. W. Gilbert used a caustic wash so strong that it ate up his white- 

 wash brush in an hour, yet it did no harm to th^ trees. 



