PLUM APHIS, 329 



point for consideration, but at growing time it is beneficial, 

 and, by means of a good strong current sent at the more solid 

 parts of the tree, a most serviceable amount of clearing of 

 spring insect vermin may be effected. For application to kill 

 Green Fly on the Plum trees, the following mixture was 

 reported on the 17th of May, by Mr. C. D. Wise (Deputy 

 Superintendent), as found serviceable in the Toddington Fruit- 

 grounds, namely : — Quassia and soft-soap in the proportion 

 of two ounces of each, to each gallon of water, and Paris- 

 green added in the proportion of one ounce to ten gallons of 

 the decoction. 



On the 20th of June Mr. J. Masters, Secretary of the 

 Evesham Fruit Conference Committee (to which I have 

 myself the pleasure of acting as Entomologist), favoured me 

 with the following useful notes regarding Aphis destruction : — 

 " A strong solution of soft-soap and quassia and paraffin oil, 

 in the strength recommended in your ' Manual,'* I have found 

 the best remedy. But it is very difficult to get at them by 

 spraying owing to their being coiled up in the leaf. 



" The committee consider that the trees should be sprayed 

 early, before the pest has developed. 



" I had a row of trees last year, and the foliage was severely 

 injured by the Aphis. This year, before the trees had bloomed, 

 we gave them a good sj^inging with soft-soap and a little 

 paraffin oil (according to your report), and this year we have 

 no attack of the Aphis in these trees; but other trees near, 

 that did not suffer from the Aphides last year, and where we 

 did not dress the trees as above, we have found are severely 

 affected this season." 



A decoction of quassia chips and soap, or soft-soap, has 

 been found serviceable both for syringing infested trees and 

 also on a smaller scale for dipping shoots in. One recipe for 

 the mixture is — one ounce of quassia boiled for ten minutes 

 in a quart of water, and a piece of soft-soap the size of a 

 small hen's egg then added. Quassia is a well-known " fly- 

 poison," but, having found that sometimes flies which appeared 

 to have been killed recovered afterwards, it suggests that the 

 different amount of success from the use of this remedy may 

 depend in part on the strength, but also on the Aphides being 

 well washed down by syringing, or otherwise cleared from the 

 shoots whilst they are still stupefied. 



Very many different kinds of washes have been recom- 

 mended for destroying Green Fly, of which recipes for some 



*For references to soft-soap washes and emulsions, see Index; details 

 regarding methods of mixing, proportion of ingredients, &c., were given, and 

 also cautions about experimenting as to strength before using the aiDplications 

 on a large scale, as the strength desirable or safe for use varies sometimes with 

 the nature of the plant, and likewise depends much on the age of the leafage. 



