1900J MOTTLED FRUIT-TREE TORTRIX MOTH. 77 



Prevention and Remedies. — For satisfactory application of remedial 

 measures we need information as to details of life-history between the 

 time of the moths (as noted by Mr. Newstead) being observable in 

 June sitting by day (though easily disturbed) on the leafage and in 

 flight at night, and the caterpillars being found spun up in winter 

 cocoons (of manufacture specified) on shoots. 



Examination might very likely show that summer damage to fruit- 

 tree leafage, which has hitherto passed unidentified as to its cause, 

 may be owing to these little larv*, and that presently they pass, as 

 we know is the case with other somewhat similar infestations, from 

 their food ground, or rather leaves, to form winter shelters in a 

 permanent locality. 



But as the case stands, the only remedial measure appears to me 

 to lie in heavy spraying with any of the ordinary insecticide washes 

 and poisonous applications; as Paris-green, &c., would act as effectually 

 in getting rid of this as of other orchard caterpillar attacks ; but in 

 moth state a soft-soap wash would be a better remedy. The flight of 

 the moths is probably only for a short distance, and those that escaped 

 the spray would be likely to be so injured by the wet sticky soap-wash, 

 which would adhere to them amongst the leafage, that a good propor- 

 tion might be got rid of. 



An excellent note of the good effect of spraying by means of steam 

 apparatus with soft-soap at Toddington will be found in " Short 

 Notices," under the head of " Apple Psylla " ; see also Index. 



Recipes for preparation of the soft-soap and mineral oil wash known 

 as " kerosine euaulsion " have often been given, but the two following 

 formulae are added to save trouble in reference. 



The following recipe is one of the Department of Agriculture of 

 the U.S.A. In this the plan is to add one gallon of water, in which 

 a quarter of a pound of soft-soap (or any other coarse soap preferred) 

 has been dissolved, boiling or hot, to two gallons of petroleum or other 

 mineral oil. The mixture is then churned, as it were, together by 

 means of a spray-nozzled syringe, or double-action pump, for ten 

 minutes, by means of which the oil, soap, and water are so thoroughly 

 combined that the mixture settles down into a cream-like consistency, 

 and does not, if the operation has been properly performed, separate 

 again. This is used diluted with some three or four times its bulk of 

 water for a watering; if required for a wash, at least nine times its 

 bulk is needed — that is, three gallons of emulsion, as it is termed, 

 make thirty gallons of wash. 



Warning is given that care must be taken with each new crop to 

 ascertain the strength that can be borne ; and this should always be 

 considered, for the same strength may not be safe on all parts of young 

 trees, or on all conditions of leafage. 



