749 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Dec, 1918. 



The soap is shredded and dissolved in hot water, and the other ingredi- 

 ents are added. 



As the eggs of the bugs are placed on steins, grass, and weeds, or 

 rubbish on the ground, it is absolutely necessary to destroy all such 

 harbors either by ploughing the weeds, &c., into the ground, or by spray- 

 ing them with benzole or other emulsions, tobacco water, or phenyle 

 sprays. 



One of the methods found satisfactory in New South Wales in 

 attacking the bugs when they infest trees is to start early in the morning, 

 before the sun is up, and while the resting bugs are semi-torpid, and to 

 shake them out of the branches into a dish of water and kerosene placed 

 on the ground beneath. 



A 9-foot sheet of galvanized iron can be converted into a shallow 

 dish by any handy man by turning up the ends and sides. A gallon of 

 water should be placed in this pan with a pint of kerosene; the latter 

 will form a thin scum of oil on the surface of the water, which will kill 

 every bug as it drops in. A dish of this size placed under the tree and 

 pulled round as the branches of each section of the tree are either shaken 

 or tapped sharply with a stick around which a bit of bagging has been 

 tied to prevent the bark being bruised will be an object lesson to an 

 orchardist, as it fills with falling bugs. This operation will not be 

 effective after sunrise, as then the bugs, being stimulated, will grip to 

 the branches or will fly away. 



Unfortunately, they suck the sap from fruit with their rostrum or 

 beak, and from flowers from beneath the epidei-mis, and thus they cannot 

 be poisoned with the arsenical sprays that are used with much success 

 against chewing insects, such as codlin moth grubs, cutworms, cherry 

 borer, painted apple moth, vine moth, and others. 



The only means of destroying them is to use contact sprays. Spray- 

 ing should be performed on dull days, or towards evening, when the 

 sun's rays are not too hot. 



Kerosene torches have proved most successful in some places against 

 this pest. Mr. Sage, of Wentworth, JSTew South Wales, uses an old rake 

 handle, at the end of which he fixes a ball or rags about the size of one's 

 fist. This he dips in kerosene from a jug, which he carries about with 

 him, lighting it and waving the lighted torch through the trees, and 

 the fumes kill the bugs instantly. 



The greatest care must be exercised not to leave the torch too long 

 in one place, or the foliage may get singed. It is surprising how 

 quickly this method can be worked; in fact, Mr. Sage says that in a 

 slow walk round the trees the pest is effectually conquered. 



A tobacco spray which has given good results against Rutherglen 

 bugs is made as follows : — 



Tobacco stems or tobacco dust, 2 lbs. 

 Water, 4 gallons. 

 The following is the formula for its preparation : — Put the tobacco in 

 the water, enough to cover, which may be either hot or cold. I'lace over 

 a fire, and, when the water has reached boiling point, remove some of 

 the fire and allow the water to simply simmer for fully an hour, when the 

 liquid is ready to the drained off, diluted to the above proportions, and 

 applied. Care should be taken that the water does not boil violently, 

 or the nicotine will be driven off. If whole-leaf tobacco is used, prepare 

 as above, using 1 lb. of tobacco to each 4 gallons of water. 



