ECONOMIC VALUE OF FUMIGATION 255 



that May is too late to commence fumigating to obtain 

 the best result, but we could not start earlier, and 

 next year I intend to start early in February, so that 

 the oranges, while still growing, will throw off the 

 dead scale. My reason for starting in February is that 

 I have done some experimenting, and have closely 

 watched the result, and feel sure that citrus trees done 

 in that month will be almost absolutely clean by May. 

 I did some twelve or fourteen of the worst trees I 

 could find in the orchard fourteen months ago with the 

 government tents which you lent me, and at the pres- 

 ent time they are almost perfectly clean ; what little 

 scale there is on them has only come in the last two 

 months. 



' ' As you know, I have had some experience with 

 spraying, and have tried practically every known 

 spray, and also had Mr. Chomley up here experiment- 

 ing with different sprays, and I have no hesitation in 

 saying that spraying is a thing of the past, and quite 

 out of date compared with fumigation, as the fumiga- 

 tion gives a ten times better result, and is not nearly 

 so costly, once you buy the tents, and these are not 

 very expensive. I bought strong unbleached calico, 

 double width, wholesale, at is. 2d. per yard, and find 

 this will hold the fumes as well as canvas, if it is not 

 blowing a strong wind. I got 200 yards, which made 

 nine tents of various sizes (but all of them are a good 

 size), and cut the stuff out myself in the following 

 manner : Cut out a circle 6 feet in diameter, then one 

 length of calico 30 feet long, and sew round the circle ; 

 then cut out another length 30 feet long, and join on 

 the other piece and sew up the seam ; this will give 



