15 



The cloth was first well wetted with water, and then the mixture was 

 spread lightly over the surface with a flat brush. A thin coating 

 was found to be sufficient. The turpentine causes the oil to dry 

 more rapidly than it would otherwise do. One gallon of the mixture 

 was used to cover about 25 running yards of the cloth. After being 

 oiled, the tents were hung from trees and the sheets spread out on the 

 ground and left until they were dry. Failure to thoroughly dry the 

 cloth before rolling it up may prove its destruction, as it is liable to 

 take fire by spontaneous combustion. 



In California, an extract of the juice of a species of prickly pear 

 (Opuntia engelmani), to which is added a little sizing and yellow 



OLEANDER SCALE, Aspidiotus nerii Bouche. 1, infested Acacia twig : la, male ; 

 16, male scale ; Ic, female scale ; I is natural size and the others are much enlarged. 

 (From U.S.A. Dept. Agr.) 



The Oleander Scale is common in the colony but not common on citrus trees; 

 it is, however, very injurious to citrus trees in an orchard at Hex River and is very 

 common on European fruit. 



ochre, is used to substitute oil for coating the cloth. This prepara- 

 tion has the advantage of leaving the cloth much lighter and more 

 pliable than oil, besides being much less expensive. Thus treated, 

 sheets up to 60 feet across are manageable, while oiled sheets of this 

 size would be too great a strain on the poles commonly used. Many 

 attempts were made to utilize the extract of our prickly pear 

 (Opuntia tuna) for the purpose, but all ended in total failure ; the 

 cloth was as pervious after the treatment as before. Another 

 Calif ornian practice is to sew a " skirt "of lighter material than 



