110 state Horticultural Society. 



my correspondents a lialf onnce bottle literally packed with specimens 

 of the handsome little, rose-red, black dotted species of lady-bngs that 

 are so common everywhere, "which," as the accompanying letter in- 

 formed me, "together with their yonng ones were destroying the leaves 

 and young growth of some of his fruit trees." The supposed "young- 

 ones" being a very destructive species of plant louse upon which the 

 beetles had congregated for the purpose of feeding and breeding upon 

 them. The idea that an otherwise intelligent horticulturist should have 

 thus ruthlessly slaughtered so many of his best friends was little short of 

 sickening. 



But, do all these points seem to require more clope observation and 

 study than the practical fruit grower has time for ? Let him not be dis- 

 couraged. He can acquire a sufficient knowledge of the most important 

 orchard and garden pests to combat them intelligently and protect the 

 insects that prey upon them without laborious study, by keeping his eyes 

 upon and reading his agricultural and horticultural papers. Among the 

 half million or so of described insects he requires to know Init compara- 

 tively few species, but these he needs to know well, as well as how and 

 .when and what to apply in the way of remedies and preventive meas- 

 ures. Some few general directions can be given for the treatment of 

 injurious insects in orchards and gardens that are the result of intelligent 

 experiment and have been proved by years of trial to be entirely dependa- 

 ble. Among these rules are: That all scale insects (bark lice), espe- 

 cially the dreaded San Jose species, are most safely and economically 

 ireated during the Avinler months. Avhile the trees are leafless and in a 

 state of comparative rest. The most effective applications 

 are whale-oil or fish-oil soap, one and a half or two pounds of soap to a 

 gallon of water, or kerosene emulsion reduced by only five or six times its 

 bulk of water. These must be applied to every branch and twig as well 

 as to the trunk, and will penetrate the scales and destroy the eggs that 

 are wintering under them. A much reduced kerosene emulsion applied 

 in June will destroy the young of the oyster-shell bark louse and some 

 other species that are active at that time. 



Spraying with Paris green in water — one pound of the green to 200 

 gallons of water — will in great measure save the apples from the codling 

 moth, or apple worm. At least two sprayings should be given in spring 



