77 



till the mixture is as thin as milk and as free from lumps 

 Boil this until it froths up, stirring it all the time. Add it tu 

 the solution of liver of sulphur and mix thoroughly. Apply 

 with a hand or knapsack sprayer and wet the plants all over. 

 The flour paste must be used the day it is prepared, and any 

 mixed spray remaining at night must be thrown away." 



(c) Flour spray (U.S.A. formula). 



One pound of flour is made into a " batter " with a little 

 water, and is then mixed with 1 gallon of water. The mixture 

 is heated until a clear paste is formed. For spraying, 8 gallons 

 of flour paste are used in 100 gallons of water. 



(d) Paraffin Jelly (Theobald's formula). 



Paraffin 5 ga ! L 



Soft soap g Ib. 



Boil the soft soap and paraffin together and, when boiling, 

 add 1 pint of water and stir well. This becomes a jelly on 

 cooling; add 10 Ib. of this jelly to every 40 gallons 

 of water. 



CAUTION. Owing to possible danger from fire the boiling 

 should take place out of doors and away from buildings. 



(II) Moisture. Apart from spraying, which will deal with 

 all fruit crops, the chief means of controlling Red Spider is by 

 keeping the plants sufficiently moist. Red Spider attacks are 

 specially likely when plants have even temporarily become too 

 dry. Cold water sprayed on alone has been found of great 

 assistance. 



CURRANT AND GOOSEBERRY APHIDES. 



Currant and gooseberry bushes are often considerably 

 damaged by Aphides or Plant Lice. In some districts bushes 

 may be quite ruined; the leaves turn brown and shrivel up 

 and the fruit falls off. Long spells of dry, warm weather are 

 very favourable to the development of the insects. As Aphides 

 are usually more or less prevalent on the bushes, and as 

 favouring natural conditions may result in their increase to 

 overwhelming numbers, attempts should be made, especially 

 in autumn and in spring, to destroy them. 



An interesting feature in the life-history of these Aphides 

 is that only part of their life is passed on the currant and 

 gooseberry bushes. At certain times of the year they migrate 

 to other kinds of plants, returning as winged individuals in 

 autumn or the next spring. All the species affecting the 

 currant and gooseberry feed above ground except one found 

 on the currant which feeds on the roots. 



The bushes are affected in various ways. The leaves may 

 show marked blisters, green, yellow, and red in colour, under 

 cover of which the insects feed. The leaves curl up and hang 

 down and form rosettes and the attacked shoots remain short 



