PARIS-GKEEN. 357 



The plan of operation was for the members to try the effect 

 of any kind of sprays, washes, or other appHcations, which 

 they might judge likely to be effective in destroying the cater- 

 pillars on orchard trees without injuring the leafage ; and to 

 meet at various different centres from time to time, so that 

 the whole Committee could judge of results of various treat- 

 ments, and consultation and detailed reports of the method of 

 treatment take place, or be given b}^ the members. 



This plan has been thoroughly carried out, and amongst 

 the special consultations may be mentioned the meeting at 

 the Toddington Fruit-grounds on the 1st of May; also at 

 Seaford Grange, the residence of the Chairman of the 

 Committee, on the 14th of the same month ; and on the 11th 

 of June, to inspect the plantations of Messrs. Masters & Groves 

 at Greenhill. 



I have myself, through the courtesy of Mr. J. Masters, Hon. 

 Sec. of the Committee, and Mr. C. D. Wise, the able Deputy- 

 Superintendent of the Toddington Fruit-grounds, been in 

 communication and receipt of information of progress through- 

 out, and from this, as well as from the published reports of 

 the Committee, can state that the experiments have confirmed 

 the statements of which we were in possession of the beneficial 

 effects of Paris-green, when applied according to direction, in 

 destroying the caterpillars without injuring the leafage ; 

 although in some instances, from causes w^hich appear for the 

 most part avoidable (of which I give a note further on), damage 

 was observable to leafage in some places towards the end of 

 June, after the occurrence of some days of very hot weather. 



Many other applications were tried, and to some degree 

 there was at least partial success with an arsenical compound 

 called London-purple ; but the following few quotations from 

 recommendations of the Committee, and reports to myself to 

 lay before the Royal Agricultural Society, or for publication, 

 are as much as space here now allows. 



On May 1st the following conclusions were unanimously 

 agreed to by the Committee : — 



"That for spraying Plum trees Paris-green paste, in the 

 proportion of one ounce to eight or ten gallons of water, is 

 effective in destroying the caterpillar, and at the same time is 

 not injurious to the foliage of the trees. For Apple trees, 



Mr. Swift, a large land-owner and occupier of land in the neighbourhood; Mr. 

 Doeg, of Evesham ; and Mr. Hiam, of Ashwood Bank ; likewise Mr. F. Hooijer 

 and Mr. E. Grove. I rendered what assistance lay in my power as the Consulting 

 Entomologist of the Committee, and we were greatly favoured by being allowed 

 in all difficulties to apply for advice to Mr. J. Fletcher, the Entomologist of the 

 Dominion of Canada ; and thus knew that so far as we followed instructions we 

 were trying no new thing, but what had been known to answer in Canada and 

 America for regular orchard service for years back. 



