155 



The latter portion was originally free and in fine condition, and much 

 of it is still uninjured by the scale, which has, however, si^read from 

 the northern older trees over the central i)ortiou of the newer orchard, 

 many trees being so badly infested as to be killed outright. The New 

 Jersey stock planted in the spring of 1888 is all thoroughly incrusted 

 with the scale, and much of it has died, and at the time of the exami- 

 nation had been removed and destroyed. In the old orchard on the 

 riverside more or less of the New Jersey stock of 1887 was used in 

 replanting trees which had failed, and most of this orchard was found to 

 be thoroughly infested with the scales, which examination showed had 

 spread from the later replantiugs. In much of the central part of the 

 older orchard the trees were found to be dead, having succumbed to the 

 severe winter from the weakening resulting from the attacks of the 

 scale. 



Within a radius of two miles three other orchards were found on the 

 river front, one of them on the farm immediately adjoining that con- 

 taining the infested orchard. The trees in all three of these orchards 

 were obtained, as were the 1891 trees in the infested orchard, from 

 Redding & Ninde, of King George County, Va., and were found to be 

 perfectly healthy and absolutely free from scale. 



Some experiments had been made during the late winter and early 

 spring with winter washes for scale insects, mainly against Diaspis 

 hmatus and Ghionaspis furfurus, from which it appeared that of the three 

 principal winter washes (viz, strong kerosene emulsion ; lime, salt and 

 sulphur; and resin wash) the strong kerosene emulsion was most effect- 

 ive. The Riverside fruit-grower was therefore advised, more to relieve 

 his great anxiety and keep him occupied than with any explicit idea 

 that he would be able to exterminate the scale, to apply strong kero- 

 sene emulsion to a number of his dormant trees and report results. 

 This he was unable to do until the trees were beginning to spring into 

 life. Some trunk washings, however, which were conducted during 

 April, showed that by the application of this remedy about 00 per 

 cent of the scales could be killed without injury to the vitality of the 

 tree, the standard emulsion being diluted with 4i parts of water. It 

 was then decided to delay further insecticide operations until the hatch- 

 ing of the young. The first young were noticed on May 19, and upon 

 May 27 a portion of the infested trees were sprayed with a bucket pump. 

 This spraying, however, was very carelessly done, as subsequent obser- 

 vation and examination showed. Not even all of the newly hatched 

 young were killed, owing to the fact that the spray did not reach 

 all parts of the tree. The females, viviparous in habit, gave birth 

 to their young over quite an extended space of time; the young were 

 continuously hatching for a full month. Ten days after the first spray- 

 ing badly infested trees were swarming with newly hatched young 

 and covered with others recently settled. A second spraying over 

 another portion of the orchard was performed June 7. This was done 



