PRACTICAL RESULTS FROM SPRAYING. 163 



twig from an apple tree in his orchard that was completely covered 

 with a tiny oyster shell-like scale and asked if I knew what it 

 might be, and further stated that not a - few of his trees were 

 literally infested with it. I had to confess that I knew nothing of 

 its history, but remembered that Prof. Summers, of Ames, had a 

 few years previous shown, at a meeting of the Northeastern Iowa 

 Horticultural Society, a similar appearing insect, which he pro- 

 nounced the San Jose scale. With much anxiety I at once made 

 an investigation in my own orchard and discovered that I had nearly 

 100 trees badly infested with the same insect that my neighbor had 

 called my attention to. This was both a surprise and a discourage- 

 ment to me. I had made a practice of passing through my orchard 

 many times during the season to note what noxious insects or 

 diseases might be preying upon the life of the trees, and I could not 

 believe that any such thing as this scale could possibly have es- 

 caped my notice, and concluded that it must have made its appear- 

 ance during that year. I now believe it had been there for a dozen 

 years, if not longer. Some of the trees were already showing 

 signs of injury from the ravages of this pest. 



My first impression was to cut out all of those trees that were 

 badly affected and burn them, but I finally concluded to first send 

 some specimens of the insect to the professor of entomology at 

 Ames for identification. This I did and at once received word from 

 Prof. Summers, who pronounced it the true oyster shell scale, and 

 advised a thorough use of the lime, sulphur and salt solution as a 

 remedy. In the mean time I had written to a brother-in-law in 

 Michigan who is quite extensively engaged in fruit growing, ask- 

 ing his advice. He urged me by all means not to destroy the trees, 

 but rather to use the spray recommended by Prof. Summers, stat- 

 ing that he had about twenty acres of apple, pear and plum orchard 

 that were badly infested with the San Jose scale, and that he had 

 in a large degree overcome it by the use of the spray before men- 

 tioned. 



Early in April that same season, and before the buds opened, I 

 gave the trees a thorough coating of the mixture described, and 

 then late in May, during the hatching time of the young scale, I 

 thoroughly applied the kerosene emulsion. This practice I have 

 continued for the past three years, and the result is that those trees 

 are practically free from the scale today, while some of the trees 

 thus treated appear more vigorous and healthy in leaf and limb 

 than nearby trees that were free from the scale and needed no 

 treatment. In addition I may say that there is positive proof that 



