282 APPLE. 



Apple trees are dibiiguicd witli the blight and tumours of 

 many years' growth, and hung with tassels of the wool of the 

 Aphis which shows its presence in destroying hosts. Clean, 

 healthy bark, with proper allowance of air, and light above 

 and drainage below, are the best of all means of prevention. 



With regard to remedies : — The colonies of insects remain 

 in one place, and soon die if their food is cut oft" or their 

 breathing-pores choked ; so that anything which will give such 

 a taint to their harbouring-places that they cannot feed, will 

 do good. Soft-soap, tar, or, in fact, anything oily, greasy, or 

 sticky that can be well rubbed on, and which, by adhering for 

 a time, will choke all the Aphides that it touches, will be of 

 use, and amongst these applications tar, being often at hand 

 ready for use, may answer the purpose where nothing else 

 would be used. But it should always be remembered, though 

 this application may not do harm where old thick bark prevents 

 it oozing or melting (in sunshine) into the living tissues of the 

 tree, or, again, might be perfectly safe on the blight-tumours 

 of old trees, it would probably be very injurious on young bark 

 that was still living and in an active state. 



For washes, or mixtures to be laid on as paint, the following 

 applications have been found of service ; but it should be 

 observed that in the case of tobacco-water it is desirable to try 

 what strength tender leafage will bear without injury : — 



Take a quarter of a pound of tobacco, infuse it in half a 

 gallon of hot water ; when cool enough dip the infested shoots 

 in it for a few seconds, or wash the infested parts in the liquor. 

 Repeat this in a few days, if necessary, after which the plant 

 may be washed with clean water. Then dissolve one pound 

 of soft-soap and one gallon of lime in enough water to make 

 it about the consistency of thick whitewash. Apply this with 

 a painter's brush to the stem and all the branches that can 

 be reached, and sift some lime on the ground. 



An application is also recommended of half a peck of quick- 

 lime, half a pound of flour of sulphur, quarter of a pound of 

 lamp-black, mixed with boiling-water so as to form a thick 

 paint ; this to be applied warm. In winter, when the leaves 

 are off, the branches and stems may be painted with this, all 

 loose hark being first removed. It is very desirable to remove 

 the soil from the bottom of the stem, down to the main roots, 

 and paint that part also. 



For special applications to nooks and crannies anything that 

 is oily, soapy, or greasy will do good, but, as far as killing the 

 insects is concerned, the thicker it is the better, so that it may 

 fairly fill up the crevices in the bark, if possible, and not run 

 olf the Aphides till it has killed them by choking up their 

 pores ; but at the same time care should be exercised not to 



