ORANGE TREE AND COTTON PLANT. 7 
had but a few yellowish leaves, and most of these dropped within a week. It, how- 
ever, pushed out new leaves during the winter, and made a respectable amount of 
branch growth during the past summer. At this date, far from being in dying con- 
dition, it is evidently prospering as well as its gnarled and stunted trunk will allow, 
andI do not hesitate to say that the shock of the kerosene started it from its dormant 
condition. I might give other instances of applications with kerosene used unneces- 
sarily strong or in imperfect mixtures with other liquids, in none of which have the 
trees been killed within the past year, but I prefer to cite only from my own notes. 
In the California report the concentrated solutions of lye seem to be recommended, 
although the effect upon the trees is evidently very severe. EL. 9., ‘“No. 3, concen- 
trated lye, one and one-half pounds; water, one gallon. June 23, 1881, lye so strong 
as to burn bark and foliage. * * *. August2, 1881; * * * bark being restored 
and new foliage appearing.” I should call this heroic treatment. It would never do 
for orange trees, because it would make them hide-bound, if it did no worse. I made 
four experiments with potash lye (see Preliminary Report, table 3). The strongest 
solution is 1 pound to 14 gallons, applied December 31, 1881 (Exp. 43). I find I have 
the following notes upon the condition of the tree: January 10, 1882, ‘* Until within 
two or three days, the tree has not dropped many leaves. It is now severely defoli- 
ated. January 20, has ceased to drop leaves; defoliation complete upon the most 
badly infested branches; no leaves dropped on the most vigorous branches; some 
dropped on nearly all older branches.” At this date (November, 1882) the tree is 
alive, but seems to be suffering from a severe check, and hardening of the bark. 
The result on scale was not at all satisfactory in my experiments, but I have since 
had reason to suspect that the concentrated lye used was not a good article. Mr. 
Voyle, who has tried apparently the same brand, told me that he suspected there 
was ‘no potash in it.” What was substituted he could not say, but it might be some 
form of caustic soda. I have had it in mind to repeat these experiments with a 
brand of potash known to be good. Shall I do so? In my experiments Nos. 43, 44, 
and 45 (see Report, table 5) the trees were in very bad condition, coated with seale. 
I looked at them the other day, and they seemed to me to be in dying condition. This, 
however, may be partly due to scale, as the lye did not clear the tree. They have, 
however, been repeatedly washed, with the other trees in the same grove, during the 
past summer, the washes used being soap and kerosene emulsions of the strength I 
have recommended, i. e., 66 per cent. oil in emulsions, emulsion diluted nine or ten 
times. That the present condition of these trees is not attributable to the kerosene 
is shown by the surrounding trees, many of which were in equally bad condition, but 
all of which show marked improvement. 
The further experience in this Bulletin, so far as it goes, bears out 
that above stated, and we shall continue experiments with the sole 
view of establishing the facts in relation to an insecticide which we 
have, thus far, good reasun to believe is the most valuable for seale- 
insects yet in our possession. 
CC Vicks 
