AMERICAN BLIGHT. '283 



oil or grease young bark that may be hurt by the appHcatiou. 

 A simple lather of yellow soap, laid on with an old shaving- 

 brush, sometimes does all that is needed without fear of hurt- 

 ing the plants, and soft-soap, well rubbed in, would probably 

 be a very effective and lasting remedy. 



It is also recommended, on good authority, that about the 

 end of February the trunks and large branches should be 

 scraped, excrescences cut off, and the whole well scrubbed 

 with soap-suds, after which a good coating of lime and water 

 is recommended. Probably the form of " whitewash " that 

 has some " size" in it would be better than the simple lime 

 and water, as the " size " makes it stick better, and thus it is 

 more injurious to the Aphides. 



Ammoniacal liquor, diluted with ten to twelve parts of 

 water, will kill Aphides, but (for the reason of it varying in 

 strength, as mentioned elsewhere) experiment should be made 

 as to the quantity of water to be added to make it a safe 

 application to such leafage as it may touch before it is used 

 on a large scale. Apple trees that have the shoots and leaf- 

 stalks infested may be well cleaned for a while by means of 

 water sent from a garden-engine with a flexible hose, or, where 

 the water supply is laid on with a good pressure, the use of a 

 hose with a spreader, throwing the water with considerable 

 force, is better still. A strong and steady stream of water 

 should be directed against every part ; and this I have found 

 to wash out the crevices, and knock off many of the Aphides, 

 as well as help to keep up a healthy leafage. If the attack 

 reappears, the treatment should be repeated. 



Various kinds of soft-soap washes are, however, probably 

 the best applications, for references to which, mixed with 

 mineral oil, &c., see Index. Amongst these the mixture 

 known in South Australia as " Burford's soft-soap and sulphur 

 compound " might probably be very useful. This consists of 

 soft-soap to which one-fourth of its weight of sulphur is added; 

 this is used as a wash for bark at a strength of 1 lb. to 1 gallon 

 of water.* 



A careful watch, and something done as soon as the wool 

 appears, is what is wanted ; but if the small tufts are left 

 alone, as of no consequence, the insects will soon spread far 

 and wide, and a thoroughly infested tree is an injury to a 

 whole neighbourhood that ought not to be allowed. 



With regard to the Woolly Aphis on Apple roots, doubts 

 have been expressed whether it is of the same kind as that 

 infesting the trees, but it appears now to be considered to be 

 so ; and, excepting in the matter of stopping passage down to 



* See ' Eeport on Fusicladiiims, Coclliii Moth, Ac.,' by Fiazer S. Crawford, 

 Inspector under the Vine, &c., Protection Act. Adelaide, S. Austraha, 1886. 



