60 GRASSHOPPERS AND OTHER INJURIOUS INSECTS OF 1911 AND 1912. 



Government Whitewash. 



The whitewash used on forts and lighthouses may be made by 

 slaking half a bushel of lime in warm water. Cover it to keep in 

 the steam. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or strainer. Add 

 a peck of salt previously well dissolved in warm water, three pounds 

 of ground rice boiled to a thin paste and stirred in boiling hot, 

 half a pound of powdered Spanish whiting, and a pound of glue 

 which has been previously dissolved over a slow fire. Dilute with 

 five gallons of hot water. Stir well and cover for a few days. Strain 

 carefully, and apply warm with a spray pump. 



Formula For Iron Sulphide. 



Lime, 10 pounds. 

 Sulphur, 10 pounds. 

 Water, 40 gallons. 



Place ten pounds of unslaked lime of good quality in a barrel and 

 nearly cover it with water. While the lime is slaking, add sulphur 

 which has been run through a sieve to break up the lumps. Thor- 

 oughly stir it into the slaking lime, adding enough water to make a 

 pasty mass. The barrel should now be covered, in order to retain 

 the heat and the contents should be occasionally stirred. The time 

 required varies with the quality of the lime. If it acts quickly, from 

 five to ten minutes will be sufficient. If it acts slowly, fifteen min- 

 utes may be necessary. Now add a little water, stirring the mixture 

 while it is being poured in. Add enough water to bring the total up 

 to forty gallons. Then add three pounds of iron sulphate (cop- 

 peras) disolved in about eight gallons of water. 



Early in the fall of 1912 the writer sent the following communi- 

 cation to the press : 



There is considerable alarm manifested at present over the condition of 

 oak and maple trees, and to some extent birch and elm also. Some of this 

 anxiety on the part of tree owners is well founded, but it must be borne in 

 mind that toward the end of the summer, many of our trees are apt to look 

 a little ragg-ed, — a little the worse for wear as it were. Oak trees in particular, 

 quite apart from the serious injury which may be inflicted by borers, are 

 liable to a number of minor ills which though they may disfigure a tree and 

 are sufficient to alarm the owner, are not liable to be of special importance. 

 For instance, the oak pruner, larva of a beetle which cuts off the large twigs 

 and smaller branches causing them to fall to the ground with leaves turned 

 brown and withered, or which only partially broken off, hang in brown 

 clusters among the living green, does no serious damage. In fact, the tree 

 may be better off for a little pruning. 



There are, too, several small leaf mining caterpillars which work between 

 the upper and lower surface of oak leaves, frequently causing large propor- 



