12 
In limestone regions or where the water is very hard some of the 
soap will combine with the lime or magnesia in the water and more or 
less of the oil will be freed, especially when the emulsion is diluted. 
Before using, such water shouid be broken with lye, or rain water 
employed; but better than either, follow the milk emulsion formula, 
with which the character of the water, whether hard or soft, does not 
affect the result. 
The kerosene and milk emulsion formula. 
IMELOSONG eee a; - eee eae ise ee er ee eee ----gallons.. 2 
MNCs (SOUT) o.oo Ses. stl ais Sic io wre Sa he ee ae nee eee ne ee gallon.. 1 
Heating is unnecessary in making the milk emulsion, which other- 
wise is churned, as in the former case. The change from a watery 
liquid to a thick buttery consistency, much thicker than with the soap, 
takes place very suddenly after three to five minutes’ agitation. With 
sweet milk difficulty will frequently be experienced, and if the emulsion 
does not result in five minutes, the addition of a little vinegar will 
induce prompt action. It is better to prepare the milk emulsion from 
time to time for immediate use, unless it can be stored in quantity in 
air-tight jars, otherwise it will ferment and spoil after a week or two. 
How to use the emulsions.—During the growing period of summer, for 
most plant-lice and other soft-bodied insects, dilute the emulsion with 
from 15 to 20 parts of water; for the red spider and other plant mites 
the same, with the addition of 1 ounce of powdered sulphur to the 
gallon; for scale insects, the larger plant bugs, larvie, and beetles, 
dilute with from 7 to 9 parts water; apply with spray pump. 
For winter applications to the trunks and larger limbs of trees, in 
the dormant and leafless condition, to destroy scale insects, stronger 
mixtures may be used even to the pure emulsion, which latter can not 
be sprayed successfully but may be applied with brush or sponge. 
Diluted with one or more parts of water it may be applied in spray 
without difficulty. The use of the pure emulsion is heroic treatment 
and only advisable in cases of excessive infestation, and in general it 
is much better and safer to defer the treatment until the young scales 
hatch in the spring, when the nine-times diluted wash may be used with 
more certain results and without danger to plants. The winter treat- 
ment should be followed by a use of the spring wash to destroy any 
young which may come from female scales escaping the stronger mixture. 
Pure kerosene.—The pure oil may be applied as a winter wash to the 
older parts of plants either in a spray or with a sponge, using the least 
possible quantity. Its use is not advised save in exceptionally bad 
cases of infestation and during the dormant period, and should never 
be attempted after the first sign of spring growth appears. 
In many cases plant-bugs and beetles may be jarred into cloths sat- 
urated with kerosene or into pans with water and oil and destroyed, 
where it would be unsafe or inadvisable to spray the plants themselves. 
As aremedy against the mosquito, kerosene has proven very effective 
. 
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