35G PLUM. 



there is quite a possibility of disagreeable effects or dangerous 

 illness ensuing, or possihhj death. 



The cost of the Paris-green is very little. The firm with 

 whom I have corresponded on the subject inform me that as 

 wholesale manufacturers they could furnish quantities of 1 cwt., 

 and over, at the rate of lOd. per lb. Eetail traders would 

 probably not furnish the pure article under Is. Sd. per lb. 



The above observations refer mainly to the instructions as 

 to method of use of Paris-green for spraying purposes, given 

 in the Government Reports of Canada and the United States, 

 and details of the nature of the application. In the following 

 notes I give, as shortly as I can, an account of the careful 

 public trial (extending over a period of about three months) 

 which has been made by the members of the Evesham Fruit- 

 growers' Conference, in the spring and early summer of this 

 year, as to the serviceableness of this treatment for destroying 

 orchard caterpillars, without injuring the infested leafage, in 

 the somewhat different climate of this country; and the 

 results, which where the instructions were followed were 

 reported as very successful ; in some other cases the leafage 

 suffered, this owing, as far as appears, to instructions in 

 some instances not being followed, also very especially to 

 want of the proper apparatus for throwing the spray (a difficulty 

 which can be remedied), and also apparently in some instances 

 from hot, burning sunshine occurring soon after treatment, a 

 difficulty less easy to meet the chance of. 



For some years back trials have been made, in many isolated 

 cases, of various kinds of treatment which it was hoped might 

 lessen the hordes of caterpillars which now yearly cause great 

 injury to orchard leafage; but as these experiments were 

 seldom carefully recorded as to details or results, they have 

 been of little public benefit. 



It therefore seemed desirable to form a regular Experimental 

 Committee, of members cognisant of all the needs of the case, 

 and also knoivn to he qualified, hoth. practically and scientifically, 

 to superintend experiments in orchard treatment, and report 

 results. 



Accordingly, about the end of February this year (1890), at 

 a conference of fruit-growers held at Evesham, a Committee 

 of Experiment was formed, of gentlemen personally interested 

 in the subject, as land- owners or fruit-growers on a large scale, 

 or superintendents of large fruit-grounds, or in other ways 

 much concerned in the preservation of orchard-crops.* 



* The Committee consisted of Mr. Gibbon, of Seaford Grange, Pershore 

 (who has given valuable aid to the Committee as Chairman) ; Mr. J. Masters, 

 of Evesham, lion. Sec. ; Capt. Corbett ; and Mr. C. D. Wise (respectively Super- 

 intendent and Deputy-Superintendent at the great Toddington Fruit-grounds) ; 



