30 
eftect of the resin and fish oil saponified by the caustic soda that pro- 
duces this result—is a very important one. Quite a number of our 
fruit growers were at first inclined to believe that it is the caustic prop- 
erty of the wash that destroys the scale insect, and they therefore in- 
creased the quantity of this particular ingredient, only to find that the 
wash so constituted is not apparently more fatal to the insects, while 
at the same time it is very liable to injure the fruit. My own studies 
and experiments lead me to believe that the above sprays kill for the 
most part by suffocation. In the course of experimenting I found that 
a wash composed of the following ingredients: 
(ORI NO SINETS ES paanise oe oossoc Cans saadoo coucmadan sooo cee see pounds... 8 
IRGSI 2 oe siocissc oes oes, eae ase hon neon eae ne cee a= doxs2 08 
Water enough to make -.......- Boe oF Oreos gallons.. 100 
did not prove fatal to as large a percentage of Red scale as did one con- 
sisting of: 
CREO) oti bin cedode bon cadeSes Joan casasbbedo Scsbid6on sbO4¢ pounds... 6 
INU GSO GEA. Sans Bae SIRE OA DOORN bases Hiden Saaganao besos CaOnSeSss CWSae5 PAY 
PIS) Ole poecsoemccas Scbane seen cecedo coon esse doo Ghecoss ase pints... 3 
Water enough tocmake!<-s- is. <5 cases cesses ee en ees esse gallons.. 100 
Now, if it is the caustic property of the wash that proves fatal to the 
scale insects, it is evident that the wash containing the largest amount 
of the caustic agent would prove fatal to the largest number of scale 
insects, but the reverse of this was really the case; the wash containing 
the smallest amountof the caustic agent, the caustic property of which 
was still further lessened by the addition of the oil, proved fatal to the 
largest number of the insects. On the other hand, the addition of the 
oil, while reducing the caustic property of the wash, would increase its 
varnishing qualities, since it is a fact well-known to painters that the 
addition of oil to a varnish improves its qualities. For these reasons 
it seems quite certain that it is the suffocating properties of the wash 
and not its caustic nature that cause it to prove fatal to the scale insects 
which have been sprayed with it. 
I have seen orange trees that had been sprayed with a wash so caustic 
that it killed fully nine-tenths of the leaves on the trees, burnt the bark 
brown, and caused nearly all the oranges to drop off, and yet quite a 
number of the Red scale insects located on the oranges still remaining 
on the tree were alive. This will show the utter uselessuess of attempt- 
ing to destroy the Red scale on citrus trees by the use of caustic washes. 
THE LIME, SALT, AND SULPHUR WASH FOR THE SAN JOSE SCALE. 
For destroying the San José scale (Aspidiotus perniciosus Comstock) 
on dormant deciduous fruit trees many growers in this State use a wash 
composed of the following ingredients in the proportions here given : 
Salphunye Ps ssc ote sess =e ceaer as See eee ae eeieee ats pounds.. 33 
WGN tcp see ot =o cess ertcee cine eciee AOe Oleae eee ee Seine doz -< 42 
Silt.s. sarrieieccns- cols wonece ee ie celee ee ce ee eee Eee sae do22 sree 
Water enough to make......--.,--- cece Spo cao nooranecar gallons.. 100 
