Naturalisation in Extra-Tropical Countries. 441 



applied by direct contract thoroughly and repeatedly to the affected 

 portions of the tree. Good service renders in this respect a dressing 

 of the roots with strongly ammoniacal manures. A solution of gas- 

 tar heated with caustic soda or caustic lime is a remedy against this 

 disease. In South- Africa the Rodolia has been utilised for the same 

 purpose. A few varieties of apples resist Aphis ; notably the 

 varieties known as Northern Spy and Winter Majetin [C. French]. 

 The Black Scale of Olive-trees, Leconium Oleae, extends also to 

 Apple-trees and many other kinds of ordinary orchard-trees. 

 Hillenraeyer recommends slack-lime brushings over stems and 

 branches of apple-trees against lichens, mosses and against diseases 

 produced by growth of minute fungaceous parasites. Succulent 

 apples contain about 70 per cent, of juice, a remark which may 

 serve in calculating the yield of cider. According to the " Journal 

 of the Society of Arts" of the 26th April, 1895, the average yearly 

 production of cider in France from 1884 to 1893 came to 296 million 

 gallons. The quantity of apples made into cider during 1890 in 

 France was estimated at over 8 million cwts., valued at nearly 

 2,000,000, while the value of other apples arid pears was about four 

 million pounds sterling [Sahut, from "Bulletin du Ministere d' Agri- 

 culture"]. In Frankfort on the Maine, cider-making is one of the 

 principal industries, there being about 50 factories, employing directly 

 about 1,200 persons, the value of the present annual output being 

 approximately 400,000 [L. Moeller]. A pleasant and wholesome 

 beverage is easily prepared by boiling 2 Ibs. of apples in some water 

 till disintegrated, increasing the fluid by hot water to 1 gallon, and 

 adding about 1 lb. of sugar and after cooling a little yeast ; strain 

 when fermentation is well advanced, and bottle off lightly corked ; 

 it will be ready in two days and will keep for a week (" Journ. Soc. 

 Arts/' Sept. 1887). Wood-wool from soft pine-wood is the best 

 packing material for fresh fruit on long transit, by virtue of lightness, 

 elasticity, airiness and antiseptic property. Apples and also other 

 fruits dried by the American " Evaporator," are far superior to kiln- 

 dried or sun-dried fruits. The process consists in applying swiftly 

 moving air heated to 240 F., the rapid evaporation preventing the 

 fruit from getting heated to the extent of the air-current [E. W. 

 Badger]. See "Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society," No- 

 vember, 1890. Mr. E. Hoesch has adopted the use of pure sulphurous 

 dioxyde of lime in a weak solution, for dipping into it fruits or 

 vegetables to be dried, with a view of preventing their turning dark 

 by the exsiccation-process [See " Wiener Garten-Zeitung," 1890, p. 

 189-192]. The United States sent to England in the season 1880-81 

 about 1,350,000 barrels of apples, irrespective of the large quantity 

 sent by Canada. Latterly the value of American apples imported 

 into Britain has amounted to two millions sterling a year. 



The illustrated meritorious work by Mr. Ch. French, Government 

 Entomologist to the Victorian Department of Agriculture, on insects 

 noxious to culture plants, should be consulted especially by Australian 

 ruralists. The following original notes on predatory insects and their 



