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ALOES.—Dr. M. F. Bishop, of Alameda, the owner of a large orchard 
of deciduous fruit trees in the vicinity of San José, in the northern 
part of the State, gave me a package of aloes, with the request to test 
it on the scale insects infesting citrus trees. Accordingly I made a 
few tests with it, simply dissolving the aloes in cold water, straining 
thé solution through a piece of Swiss muslin, and then spraying it 
upon the tree. The aloes is not readily soluble in cold water, and 4 
days were required for it to dissolve, being occasionally stirred during 
this time. The experiments are as follows: 
(243) Aloes, 124 pounds; water, 100 gallons. Sprayed en an orange 
tree infested with the yellow scale (Aspidiotus citrinus) at 10:30 a. mn., 
March 22, sun shining, light breeze. April 23, leaves and fruit unin- 
jured; found many living yellow scales on this tree. 
(242) Aloes, 25 pounds; water, 100 gallons. Sprayed on an orange 
tree at 10 a. m., March 22, sun shining, light breeze. April 23, leaves 
and fruit uninjured; found several living yellow scales both on the 
leaves and {fruit of this tree. 
The price of the aloes in large quantities is at the rate of 16 cents 
per pound; at this rate the strongest solution I used (experiment 242) 
would cost $4 per 100 gallons. At this strength (25 pounds of aloes to 
100 gallons water) it proved fatal to a large percentage of the scale 
insects, and doubtless if it had been used one-half stronger it would 
have been entirely effectual; but the high price of a solution of the 
latter strength would prevent its being used on a large scale. 
