ECONOMIC VALUE OF FUMIGATION 255 
that May is too late to commence fumigating to obtain 
the best result, but we could not start earlier, and 
next year I intend to start early in February, so that 
the oranges, while still growing, will throw off the 
dead scale. My reason for starting in February is that 
I have done some experimenting, and have closely 
watched the result, and feel sure that citrus trees done 
in that month will be almost absolutely clean by May. 
I did some twelve or fourteen of the worst trees I 
could findin the orchard fourteen months ago with the 
government tents which you lent me, and at the pres- 
ent time they are almost perfectly clean ; what little 
scale there is on them has only come in the last two 
months. 
‘* As you know, I have had some experience with 
spraying, and have tried practically every known 
spray, and also had Mr. Chomley up here experiment- 
ing with different sprays, and I have no hesitation in 
saying that spraying is a thing of the past, and quite 
out of date compared with fumigation, as the fumiga- 
tion gives a ten times better result, and is not nearly 
so costly, once you buy the tents, and these are not 
very expensive. I bought strong unbleached calico, 
double width, wholesale, at 1s. 2d. per yard, and find 
this will hold the fumes as well as canvas, if it is not 
blowing a strong wind. I got 200 yards, which made 
nine tents of various sizes (but all of them are a good 
size), and cut the stuff out myself in the following 
manner: Cutout a circle 6 feet in diameter, then one 
length of calico 30 feet long, and sew round the circle ; 
then cut out another length 30 feet long, and join on 
the other piece and sew up the seam; this will give 
