16 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



On a part of a branch now lying before us, 

 half an inch in diameter, and one inch long, 

 we count Jifty-six scales. Examining them 

 to-day, under a microscope of high power, we 

 could not see the eggs with sufficient distinct- 

 ness to count them. They are probably not 

 yet enough developed. Last May it was easy 

 to count the eggs. Some accounts state that 

 under each scale there are many eggs. Allow- 

 ing only six to each scale, would give 336 eggs 

 to the inch, or 10,080 to the whole twig lying 

 before us, which is 30 inches long. Or, if 

 containing 35 eggs each — as indicated by Har- 

 ris — the single twig has 58,800 eggs upon it. 



If an orchard of one hundred trees should 

 be infected as this branch is, the number of 

 eggs would be absolutely inconceivable by 

 any power which the human mind possesses. 

 As well might it attempt to conceive of the 

 distance of the planet Uranus from us, whose 

 light, though travelling at the rate of 192,000 

 miles per second, is, nevertheless, more than 

 eighty years in reaching our earth ! 



In considering these things, the questions 

 come to the mind, What influences have this 

 vast family upon the apple trees ? 



Do they poison the bark upon which the 

 eggs are placed, and retard, or destroy, its 

 proper action ? 



Do they exhaust the moisture in the bark, 

 and cause the dry and shrivelled appearance 

 which it presents ? 



Do the insects, when hatched, march forth 

 is countless legions, and feed upon the newly- 

 formed wood, or by their presence act in any 

 way to prevent the trees from fruiting ? ^Vho 

 can tell? Who is wise enough for these 

 things ? Have we any power over these pre- 

 datory hordes, or must we sit idly by and let 

 them run, unmolested, over plants which 

 bave cost much care and labor ? 



Dr. Harris suggests the application of a 

 wash made of t>?o parts of soft soap and eight 

 of water, with wbic\i is to be mixed lime 

 enough to bring it to tL" consistence of thick 

 whitewash. This is to be put upon the trunks 

 and limbs of the trees with a brush, and as 

 high as practicable, so as to cover the whole 

 surface, and fill all the cracks in the bark. 

 This must be done in the early part of June, 

 when the insects are young and tender ! 



But — bless the memory of Dr. Harris — who 

 is able to do these things ! Consider the little 



twig before us, — only thirty inches long, and 

 containing 58,800 eggs, and from 50 to 200 

 such twigs on a good sized tree ! And the 

 enemy is on the twigs, where the wash must 

 come, or be ineffectual. When any of our 

 brother farmers possess as many dollars as 

 there are pebbles in a gravel pit, we hope 

 they will commence the work, and allow us to 

 witness the operation. 



But we are not altogether powerless yet. 

 Read the following article, furnished to the 

 Western Rural, by Mr. J. W. Robson, who 

 suggests a remedy so cheap and so easily ap- 

 plied, that all may avail themselves of its ad- 

 vantages. The "M'7ti7e-fish barrel" of which 

 he speaks, was probably a barrel in which the 

 celebrated "White-fish" of the lakes had been 

 salted. He says : — 



This insect has engaged much of our thought, 

 and received much attention from us during the 

 last fifteen years. Remedies composed of alkalies 

 and oils have been tried with varied success. Our 

 first attempts in fighting the enemy was with the 

 brush, using liquid applications of various descrip- 

 tions, solutions of sal-soda, potash, soft soap, 

 whale oil, lard, tobacco, lime, &c., all of which 

 will destroy the insect, but the mode of applying 

 the mixtures always proved wearisome, and, like- 

 wise, consumed too much valuable time. 



Late in the fall of 1867, the idea impressed us 

 that if some cheaper remedy in a liquid form could 

 be discovered, and that at the same time, some 

 means of applying it quickly to infected trees 

 could be obtained, farmers and fruit-growers gen- 

 erally would bo induced to make an efi'ort to eradi- 

 cate the foe which was sucking the life giving sap 

 out of their apple-trees, and restore their orchards 

 to their pristine vigor and fruitfulness. 



Being very anxious to deliver ourselves from a 

 troublesome pest, and in our humble way to bene- 

 fit our generation, we set to work accordingly to 

 carry out our ideas. We procured a large tin 

 syringe, which our tinsmith made to order. It 

 was a very primitive affair, but it answered the 

 purpose admirably, costing only fifty cents. We 

 commenced operations about the beginning of De- 

 cember, when the leaves had fallen from the trees, 

 mixing up all kinds of decoctions and applying 

 them faithfully. Home were successful in the 

 work of destruction, l)ut too costly for general ap- 

 plication. The cheaper mixtures failed of success. 

 One day while cleanins a white-fish barrel we 

 thought we would try fish brine. Having a young 

 apple tree close at hand, completely covered with 

 lice, we began experimenting, taking a common 

 wooden pail, and filling it with boiling water, dis- 

 solving therein one pint of brine. When suffi- 

 ciently cool to handle, we syringed the infected 

 tree, thoroughly drenching every branch and 

 twig. 



Early next spring, on close examination, we 

 found every insect dead and the scales dry and 

 shriveled up; placed under the lens of a powerful 

 microscope, they presented the appearance of half 

 burned chips of wood. Other applications since 

 then have proved quite successful. 



Those who have made this insect a study know 

 that the young lice are hatched about tlie latter 

 end of May, or first week in June, being earlier or 

 later according to the season. Immediately on is- 

 suing from under the scale they commence their 



