28 INSECTS NOXIOUS TO AGBICULTUEE. 



many insects and scales, and may do the tree itself some good 

 by cleaning off fungus-growths and incrustations, yet it neces- 

 sarily fails to destroy all the eggs, and in consequence the work 

 is only half done. Any one ivho wishes to extirpate Coccids must 

 make certain that he has destroyed the eggsa, fact which is quite 

 ignored by numbers of those who glibly talk of their own suc- 

 cess, and blame the advice of others. The object being, there- 

 fore, twofold, the operation should be performed with a hard, stiff 

 brush dipped in one of the fluids recommended below; and care 

 should be taken that there is no part of the trunk or branches 

 escaping untouched. In fact, what should be aimed at is a 

 kind of painting of the tree, but with a thin coating of the fluid, 

 so as to close the pores as little as may be ; while at the same 

 time the brush clears away as many as possible of the " scales " 

 and their enclosed broods of insects and eggs. 



. Bearing in mind what has been said just now of the want of 

 certainty in any remedy whatsoeA T er, the tree-grower who follows 

 these directions will most likely find his work successful and 

 his deciduous plants cleaned of " scale " on the bark. 



A second method may be adopted namely, the painting- 

 over of the trunk and branches, without attempting to forcibly 

 detach any " scales" with the brush. This, properly performed 

 and with proper fluids, is likely to be just as efficacious as the 

 other, for the fluid should ee run in " under the scales, surround 

 the eggs, and prevent them from hatching. It gives less trouble 

 than the hard brushing, and is equally destructive to the 

 Coccids. It has, however, of 'course, not the same cleaning 

 effect upon fungoid growths or incrustations impeding the free 

 " respiration " of the plant. 



For deciduous trees, then, such as apple- or pear-trees in an 

 orchard, the simple remedy is severe pruning at the dead of 

 winter, and the coating of the trees with a destructive fluid, laid 

 on with a brush on every part, preferably with a hard brush 

 vigorously used, but leaving a thin eoat of the fluid on the bark. 



It must be thoroughly understood that, a week or two after the 

 first application, the " scales " left on the tree should be ex- 

 amined, and, if the eggs are not killed, a second coating of the 

 fluid should be applied. 



The treatment of evergreen plants, or of plants which are 

 attacked both on the bark and leaves, is really the same as the 

 above as regards its object, but it necessarily differs in its 



