INSECT PESTS 133 



water for half an hour and then stirring in J pint of paraffin. 

 Dilute with water to 2 gallons before use. Repeat the washing 

 and syringeing two or three times and all traces of the pest should 

 have disappeared. 



Bark crevices in which the pest has become established 

 may be touched with a painter's brush dipped in paraffin. A 

 simple home-made w^sh consists of a wineglassful of petroleum 

 in a pail of water kept constantly agitated with the syringe 

 while being used. This pest also attacks the roots of the trees. 

 To get rid of these remove the soil and destroy as many as possible 

 by means of a brush dipped in the soft soap and paraffin solution. 

 The ground may then be watered with a wash made by dis- 

 solving one ounce of soft soap and one tablespoonful of household 

 ammonia in a gallon of water. 



Aphis, or Fly. The young shoots of fruit trees, especially 

 of Cherry 'and Plum growing against a wall, suffer from the attacks 

 of greenfly very considerably, and unless the pest is checked, 

 it increases to such an extent as to ruin the growth of the trees. 

 It is important to take measures to kill the aphis as soon as it is 

 noticed. The tops of shoots already badly infested ought to be 

 cut off and burnt, and the trees should be syringed with the 

 following solution : Dissolve 1 Ib. of soft soap in a little hot water 

 and make up to 2 gallons with further hot water : then add a 

 wineglassful of paraffin. The mixture must be kept well mixed 

 when in use by returning a syringeful to the can occasionally ; 

 otherwise the paraffin remains on the top. This mixture is most 

 effective when hot water is used ; it will not harm the trees, for 

 by the time the spray reaches the leaves it will have lost some of 

 its warmth. Aphides cannot be got rid of by the use of in ecticide 

 on one occasion only ; the spraying or syringeing must be carried 

 out two or three times at intervals of two days or so. Too much 

 stress can scarcely be laid upon the necessity of keeping the trees 

 moist at the root in summer ; those that suffer from drought 

 seem predisposed to an attack from aphis. The trees derive 

 great benefit during hot weather if they are forcibly sprayed 

 with the hose once a week or so. 



Apple S acker. Nearly everyone nowadays knows some- 

 thing of this pest, but those who have not yet experienced 

 its ill effects upon their trees may one day wonder why the 

 trusses of bloom on the trees have turned brown and have set 

 no fruit, and they may be surprised to find the flowers come 



