i6o THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



strong tobacco juice on surfaces other than the trees is found to prevent aphis attacks. 

 If a solution of soft soap made by dissolving 2 ounces of the soap in a gallon of boiling 

 water is added to each gallon of the tobacco water, this destroys black, brown, and 

 blue aphis, by adhering to their bodies, whilst it acts as a preventive of red spider, 

 uirips, and other insects that attack fruit trees, but should not be used on vines. 



Quassia chips 1 pound, boiling water 3 gallons, let stand 24 hours, strained, and, 

 sprayed on aphis-infested trees is a preventive and curative. Or the quassia chips, 

 1 pound, may be boiled a quarter of an hour in 4 gallons of water, straining, and adding, 

 while hot, J pound of soft soap, dissolving thoroughly. This should be used at 90 to 

 100 ; it is a safe and good insecticide. For cherry, peach, and plum aphis, increase the 

 soft soap to 4 ounces per gallon, spraying twice or thrice, for the insects are made 

 uncomfortable by the first, reached by the second, and destroyed by the third spraying. 



The following day the trees should be syringed with clear water. 



Pyrethrum, when fresh, is considered especially valuable if sprinkled on infested 

 leaves, and 1 ounce of the "Buhach" powder, added to 2 gallons of cold water, and 

 sprayed on infested trees, is admitted in America to be the best insecticide, as it 

 involves no danger if eaten. The powdered flowers of the pyrethrum, it is said, 

 " easily subdues flies by closing up the house tightly and slowly burning in it a 

 spoonful of the powder." Its use in this country has not passed beyond the 

 experimental stage, and the chief difficulty seems to be in procuring the article fresh, 

 otherwise it would be valuable for cleansing trees of insect pests, especially fruit, 

 which must immediately be used as food. 



For use as powder the following mixture has shown good results. While slaking 

 1 peck of fresh lime, add 1 quart of petroleum ; sift out lumps. Apply lightly. This 

 would possibly be more efficacious for dusting bush fruit trees than lime alone, which, 

 however, is very useful for gooseberry and currant bushes infested with insects. In 

 fact, these bushes may be kept free from red spider and aphides by forcible syringings 

 with clear lime-water. It may be made by mixing at the rate of 1 pound of quicklime 

 to 3 gallons of water, stirring well together, and letting stand 24 hours ; then pour off 

 the water, leaving the sediment. 



As a general wash for trees and bushes infested with aphides and all sucking 

 insects, the following, by Mr. Leonard Coates, Napa, California, U.S.A., has proved 

 very efficient. Formula: " 14 pounds of whule oil soap [soft soap], 1 pound of caustic 

 soda, 11 pound of [flowers of] sulphur, 55 gallons of water. Dissolve the caustic soda 



