Winter Meeting. 233 



formula, on account of the danger in handling it, and again caution 

 you to use it with care. It is not explosive. The danger comes 

 from inhaling the gas. 



Mr. Darsche — How can we know when we have this scale? 



Prof. Stedman — The effect is like any other injury at first. 

 The trees become sickly, have fewer leaves and look unhealthy. 

 This is about the first symptom. By looking at the bark you will 

 see a grayish color, looking like ashes, on it. Even then you prob- 

 ably cannot see the individual scale. Many will look dark in color, 

 but as they get older they become ashy gray. 



Mr. Dix — What about dipping the trees, why not dip the nur- 

 sery stock? 



Prof. Stedman — By dipping you cannot reach every scale. 

 They get back of the buds or behind the bark, and you cannot get 

 at all of them. The gas reaches all, and will positively kill them. 

 If the work is done right, and you have used 98 or 99 per cent, pure 

 cyanide potassium, and not kept the trees in over forty minutes, 

 or they are not wet when put in, and have been entirely dormant, 

 you are not likely to injure them, and are sure to kill all the San 

 Jose scale. 



Question — How long before the strength is gone out of the 

 room? 



Answer — Just air out the room thoroughly before going into it 

 at all. 



Mr. Gano — Wouldn't it be best to submit samples to you when 

 we suspect we have the scale? 



Prof. Stedman — This is the safest plan, decidedly. Nearly 

 every week letters come in saying I have the scale, and asking 

 what to do for it. I ask for samples and often find it is something 

 else. It is a surprise to find how much interference I have with 

 these ordinary methods. Many people will hide the fact that they 

 have the scale. Some will say that a friend has it, but will not let 

 his name be known. This is not the best way at all, for we can 

 give them real help. I would not advise spraying entire orchards 

 not yet generally affected with scale. Just spray where it is found, 

 not the whole orchard, if the scale is only in places in it. Just 

 spray the area infected. Spraying does not affect the forming or 

 development of fruit buds. Sometimes a tree will die in two years 

 after the scale appears, and sometimes it takes longer. 



Secretary Goodman — How about spraying in the winter? 



Prof. Stedman — If the work is done in December or January, 

 you will fail to kill many of the insects that you would kill later. 



