FOURTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 



135 



the growtli far from satisfactory. These evidences of injury 

 have become so apparent in the last year or two that \vc have 

 hesitated about advocating' the employment of oil, and have 

 turned our attention very largely to other substances which 

 promised to be just as effective and not so dangerous to plant 

 life. It is very difficult to secure a satisfactory summer spray 

 for this insect, and in this connection I wish to call attention 

 to an experience we had with crude petroleum. The scale 

 became established in large numbers in a certain peach or- 

 chard in Orange county, and its presence was not discovered 

 till midsummer, at which time some of the trees were literally 

 overrun by the pest. This was extremely unfortunate, as a 

 great many peaches are grown in the immediate vicinity, and 

 the inspector in charge of that section felt that the situation 

 justified heroic measures. He did not feel like insisting that 

 the trees be cut and burned, and as a compromise recom- 

 mended that they be thoroughly sprayed with a mechanical 

 crude petroleum emulsion, using 20 per cent, and 25 per cent, 

 oil. There was a chance of the trees surviving, while it was 

 known that the petroleum would control the breeding in a 

 satisfactory manner. The spraying was done in midsummer 

 as directed, and much to the surprise of those in charge of the 

 work, serious injury did not result. The 25 per cent, me- 

 chanical emulsion caused the dropping of a portion of the 

 leaves. It was not, however, excessive, whereas the 20 per 

 cent, mechanical emulsion appeared to cause no appreciable 

 injur}-. Owing to procrastination and other causes, the same 

 conditions confronted the inspector the following year and a 

 similar application was made. Again the trees did not suffer 

 much injury, but somewhat to our surprise the breeding of 

 the pest was not satisfactorily checked. This may be ex- 

 plained possibly by lack of thoroughness in application. It 

 is certainly very difficult to thoroughly spray trees in full 

 foliage. This experience is alluded to not for the purpose of 

 recommending this application, but simply to call attention to 

 what has been done and under some conditions the writer 

 would feel justified in recommending such treatment. 



Crude petroleum is still used to some extent in both New 

 York and New Jersey, and Dr. Smith, in a recently issued 

 bulletin, states that this is the onlv material which has not 



