THE GRAPE CULTUKIST. 



There are various species of scale pests which 

 occasionally appear upon stunted and neglected vines, 

 but they rarely attack those given good cultivation. 

 Vines grown under glass, either for fruiting or propaga- 

 tion, are sometimes infested with what is called the 

 Mealy-bug (Dactylopius adonidum), but this and kindred 

 species are readily destroyed by spraying the plants with 

 kerosene emulsion. The original formula for making 

 the emulsion is, "kerosene, two gallons ; common yellow 

 bar soap, one-half pound ; water, one gallon." Shave 

 up the soap and throw it into the water, and place over 

 a fire to heat, and when the soap is all dissolved pour 

 into a larger vessel, and add the kerosene to the hot soap 

 suds. Immediately churn the mixture by means of a 

 force pump, or large hand syringe, for five or ten min- 

 utes. The emulsion, as churned, forms a thin cream, 

 which thickens on cooling. Dilute before applying to 

 the plants, with cold water, one gallon of the emulsion 

 to nine of water, or the three gallons with twenty-seven 

 of water, making, in all, thirty gallons when ready for 

 use. The emulsion should be applied with a garden 

 syringe and through a fine rose or spraying nozzle, or 

 any of the modern spraying force pumps may be used 

 for the purpose. When the emulsion is to be applied to 

 miscellaneous plants in a greenhouse I have found that 

 one gallon of kerosene to one-half pound of the soap, 

 and the usual amount of water, was strong enough to 

 kill aphis and mealy bugs, and less likely to injure the 

 foliage than when made of full strength. 



Quite recently another of these mealy bugs, or scale 

 insects, has been discovered infesting grapevines, espe- 

 cially those growing in village and city gardens. I 

 refer to the Cottony Maple Scale (Pulvinaria innumer- 

 abilis, Rathvon). For many years this pest was supposed 

 to attack only the Osage Orange and the Western White, 

 or Soft Maple (Acer dasycarpum). As this species of 



