10 



From this is will be seen that while we can depend upon lady- 

 birds to keep citrus trees free from mealy bugs and plant lice 

 without doing anything for them, we cannot hope for similar 

 results in the case of the Purple and the Florida red scales. Even 

 then the writer has observed time and again lime trees with every 

 leaf upon them creased and crumpled all out of shape by colonies 

 of mealy bugs, which when examined have already been de- 

 stroyed by lady-birds. Now in order to save those trees from 

 destruction by the unchecked scales, spraying will be necessary 

 sometime. In our equable climate and the consequent continual 

 breeding of scale insects the application of a soap wash is equally 

 effective at any time of the year, so that if it is made at the first 

 appearance of the mealy bug upon the lime trees mentioned, 

 aside from killing many purple scales, it would have also 

 prevented the mis-shapen appearance of the leaves. It becomes 

 evident from these facts that spraying of scale infested trees is 

 feasible, eminently necessary, and does not conflict with our re- 

 gard for the beneficial insects present. 



SOAP WASH. 



Upon recommendations from this office the soap wash has been 

 repeatedly used on this and other Islands against the purple 

 scale and the reported results were invariably very satisfactory. 

 It is so inexpensive, so simple, so easily prepared and applied and 

 at the same time proven to be efficacious that it becomes neces- 

 sary to make the preparation of it more generally known. The 

 proportions are 



Soap I lb. Water 4 gallons. 



Dissolve I lb. of soap in a gallon of water and while it is still 

 hot pour into the vessel containing the other three gallons. This 

 will render the entire mixture sufficiently warm so that it will 

 not clog the spraying nozzle. Any kind of soap will answer the 

 purpose, though usually whale oil or soft soaps are recommended 

 as preferable. In the case of very tender plants afifected with 

 scale insects or plant lice, ivory soap, because of its neutral prop- 

 erties, is probably the safest. Let it be stated here once for all, 

 that we have every reason to believe that the soap wash here 

 recommended is effective against all scale insects and plant lice 

 in Hawaii, provided, it is made judiciously. It is known, for 

 instance, that the eggs of the purple scale are not killed by the 

 •.wash in the strength above given, but if it is repeated some 



