100 THE SUBURBANITE'S HANDBOOK 



NOTES on the Prevention and Destruction of Insects, Pests and 

 Diseases affecting Fruit Trees : 



Broadly speaking the enemies of plant life may be divided into 

 four classes : 



First The Aphides (Green Fly, etc.) These have to be de- 

 stroyed by the direct application of insecticides. 



Second Leaf-eating Insects (Caterpillars, Slugs, etc.) For 

 whose destruction the foliage of the plants must be poisoned. 



Three Fungoid Diseases Mildews, Blister, etc.) 



Fourth Mosses, Lichens, Scales and diseases of the bark which 

 can only be effectually dealt with in winter when the trees are dor- 

 mant. 



Before entering into details respecting the above I will enum- 

 erate a few remedies which are of easy application. Most of those 

 are best applied in a liquid form so that a high class syringe with a 

 fine nozzle is an absolute necessity. In large gardens a knapsack 

 spraying pump, such as the Vermorel or Antipest, though apparently 

 costly at first, will save its value in a very short time. 



DIRECT INSECTICIDES. 



The first among the following is a cheap, effective and easily 

 peated sprayings with formula F (including the Paris Green), first, 

 made insecticide, which I make an extensive use of in my nurseries : 



(A). Take half a gallon of paraffine (with a little water added) 

 and two pounds soft soap, and boil these together in an old kettle 

 in the open garden. When boiling, carefully skim off the greasy look- 

 ing surface and then pour the paraffine into a tub containing 25 

 gallons of rain water. Stir thoroughly before using. 



(B). Take four ounces of quassia chips and boil them 10 min- 

 utes in a gallon of rain water; strain them and add to the liquid 

 four ounces of soft soap, lengthening the whole of 2% gallons. 



(C). Boil two pounds of tobacco leaf stalks in a gallon of 

 water, strain them and lengthen them to five gallons. 



LEAF POISONING INSECTICIDES. 



(D). The most effective of these is Paris Green Mixtures. This 

 is made by dissolving one ounce of Paris Green and two ounces of 

 fresh lime in 12 gallons of water. The lime is needed to destroy the 

 caustic properties of the Paris Green. 



