2 Qt> THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



ranee doubly sure, against even the dreaded Jcerya " (and caterpillars). This combined 

 -solution of soda and resin with the mixture of London-purple is too powerful to use on 

 tender and hairy foliage; therefore, for safe use on such, dilute the rosin compound to 

 64 gallons, and add 4 ounces of London-purple thereto. 



Mr. C. Lee Campbell states : " I have tested another mixture with excellent results: 

 10 pounds quassia chips and 7 pounds Calvert's carbolic soap boiled together and mixed 

 with 100 gallons of water, with about 5 ounces of Paris-green. This acts well against 

 the aphis." It may be observed that this preparation is intended for apple trees, but it 

 is available for hardy fruit trees generally, and is destructive of the whole host of 

 orchard pests, applying the mixture as directed for the petroleum emulsion. 



All the solutions or mixtures named are for use as a spray, and must not be used in 

 any other manner unless specially advised. Where Paris-green or London-purple is 

 employed for the destruction of orchard moth caterpillars it is not necessary to specially 

 spray the trees for the destruction of codlin moth grubs, if the applications are made 

 directly the fruit is formed and repeated at intervals. 



Many injurious insects have their numbers reduced by the parasitic species. Ground 

 beetles guard the roots, and the larvae of the ladybird beetles and lacewing flies pro- 

 tect the trees from aphides. Ichneumons deposit their eggs upon the bodies of caterpil- 

 lars so that their grubs may burrow and fatten therein, and house flics prey on aphides 

 directly they emerge from the eggs. Almost every creature is liable to be preyed upon 

 by parasites. It is almost impossible to directly increase those destroying injurious 

 insects, because friends and foes alike perish by the means employed for the destruction 

 of pests inimical to fruit crops. Still it is well to recognise their usefulness, and to have 

 a knowledge of them so as to prevent their needless destruction. 



Many birds render important services in the destruction of insects. Birds, in fact, 

 are both injurious and beneficial, and it is suicidal to the interest of the fruit grower to 

 slaughter them indiscriminately. 



The hedge-sparrow feeds on insects, worms, and seeds, but never on fruit, leading an 

 entirely useful life, and feeding its young almost entirely on caterpillars. The common 

 wren is ever on the quest for insects. The great titmouse and blue titmouse, though, 

 pecking ripening pears, visit expanding apple and pear blossom for aphides and the 

 Jarvffi of the apple blossom weevil. The chaffinch is useful to the fruit grower, for 

 though it eats seeds its favourite food is insects and their larvae ; two broods of young are 

 reared in a season, and fed chiefly on caterpillars. The redbreast, or robin, likes grapes, 



