88 THE REPORT OF THE 



know everything about their own work, is to watcli carefully and leai :; ri__ 

 their most successful and enterprising neighbours, at the same time, keeping 

 well posted as to the progress of the experimental work of the Government 

 officials specially engaged to investigate these matters, and to obtain and 

 read their reports, which are published by the Government for their benefit 

 and all of which are distributed free to all applicants. 



In this connection, it may be well to mention Prof. Close's recent im- 

 provement in the convenience of making kerosene emulsion by first mixing 

 the kerosene with lime and then simply churning it in water, and also the 

 later improvement on this method by Mr. F. T. Shutt, in substituting flour 

 for lime, which gives it a much wider range of usefulness. There are many 

 parts of Canada where lime cannot be obtained easily ; but flour is a necessity 

 everywhere, and it has been found that, for a kerosene emulsion which ^'s 

 to be used at once, there is nothing more convenient than to mix the kero- 

 sene and flour in the proportion of one pint of kerosene to four ounces of 

 cheap flour, and, when this is thoroughly mixed, add one gallon of water 

 (preferably warm) for every pint of kerosene. The whole is then vigor- 

 ously churned for from two to five minutes, and the emulsion is ready for 

 use. Even a weaker mixture will answer if the emulsion is to be used 

 immediately; for two ounces of flour will emulsify, or more correctly hold 

 entangled around its molecules, one quart of kerosene for a sufficient time 

 to be applied by a spraying pump; but, on standing for a short time, the 

 kerosene will separate from the water. Mr. Shutt has also found, how- 

 ever, that by scalding the flour before adding the kerosene, an excellent 

 emulsion which will not separate for several days, can be prepared with 

 two ounces of flour and one quart of kerosene, mixed with two gallons of 

 water. For immediate use and particularly in gardens and over small areas, 

 this emulsion will be of the greatest value. The above quantities for mak- 

 ing the new emulsion give a percentage of coal oil to water equal to that 

 contained in the ordinary Riley-Hubbard formula, which has two gallons 

 of coal oil in every thirty gallons of wash ready for use. 



These new kerosene emulsions have been very much discussed in con- 

 nection with work against the San Jose Scale; and it is probable that, if 

 their application were persisted in, they would finally vanquish the San 

 Jose Scale; but the cost of labour and materials in these frequent applica- 

 tions would probably render them unpractical remedies. For this redoubt- 

 able enemy, something more drastic is necessary; and tJie lime and sulphur 

 wash which has so frequently been recommended in our reports, is still the 

 best .standard remedy for that insect. The recently sent out proprietary 

 remedies "Kil-o-Scale" and ''Scalecide", notwithstanding their forbidding 

 names, are said by Dr. J. B. Smith, of New Jersey, to have given good re- 

 sults. These are petroleum preparations prepared, I believe, to a large 

 measure in accordance with Dr. Smith's advice. For the meantime, how- 

 ever, the lime and sulphur wash remains the standard remedy for the San 

 Jose Scale, and, if regularly and carefully used, will keep trees in a healthy 

 condition and enable them to produce paying crops of fruit. > 



The Woolly Aphis of the Apple (Schizoneura lanigera, Hausm.). See 

 Fig. 1, page 10. An insect which has been particularly abundant and much 

 noticed by fruit growers from the conspicuous white colonies which have 

 been seen on apple trees and hawthorns during the past season is the Woolly 

 Aphis of the Apple. It is many years since this insect has appeared m 

 the vast numbers that it was noticed in 1905. The injury, however, 

 has not as yet been very great, and, since the root inhabiting form is seldom 

 destructive in Canada, it is to be hoped that the abundant occurrence of the 

 past season will not be attended by serious after consequences in our or- 



