CALCIUM OXIDE (QUICKLIME). 147 



The Homoptera have likewise been fought by Ume with more or 

 less success, for here again it is still by its desiccating properties 

 that it especially acts. By using milk of lime as thick and hot as 

 possible the contraction of the lime detaches the cochineals and kills 

 them at the same time. But a good result is not obtained unless care 

 is taken to prune the tree and clean it from top to bottom. Thus 

 cleansed and covered with a layer of lime the tree is not attacked by 

 cochineals, and the fumagine (fruit tree smut) which only lives on 

 the dejections of these insects is avoided. Liming is thus an in- 

 dispensable operation in arboriculture and it gives good results if 

 renewed each year. 



Coccus Vitis, L. (red cochineal of the vine, vine scab). — Winter is the 

 best time to attack cochineals, for that is the time that these insects 

 get on to the trunks to lay their eggs. Bellot des Minieres advises 

 after pruning to clean the trunk completely, including scraping and 

 careful barking. It is then whitewashed with lime which protects it 

 against these insects. 



Aspidiotus perniciosus, Comstock (San Jose louse). — To combat 

 this cochineal the Americans replace lime by a mixture of salt, sulphur, 

 and lime, sold as "salt lime and sulphur wash". Applied in winter 

 on the trunks of trees this mixture forms a hard crust which prevents 

 the reproduction of this insect. 



Schizoneura lanigera, Hausmann (woolly aphis). — Muller advises 

 to coat the ulcerated spots infested by this aphis with milk of lime 

 after having completely cleaned them. To destroy the woolly aphis, 

 which live underground ai'ound the stock and the roots, Goethe 

 advises to strip the trees in autumn or winter to a depth of 2 feet, and 

 water them copiously with milk of lime. A layer is then made 3 

 centimetres, say 1 "2 inches, thick of quicklime, then the earth is covered 

 in. Taschenberg finds this method very efficacious. To combat green 

 lice, Arbrinjer advises to lime the whole tree in winter or spring. If 

 an insecticide be added to the lime, such as tar or naphthalene, success 

 is complete, for in that case the eggs of the louse are killed at the same 

 time as those of the most diverse insects. Balbiani's mixture as well 

 as milk of lime are incapable of preventing the opening of the buds, 

 which are thus protected against insect attacks. 



Limaces (snails) are also killed by lime. If it is a case of destroy- 

 ing snails on plants, freshly slaked lime is blown on to them from a 

 bellows. Each snail touched dies forthwith. The best time for this 

 operation is early in the morning, or in the evening a little after fall 

 of day. In vineyards, the buds are protected against small snails by 

 spreading slaked lime in powder on the stock, and laying a train of 

 lime, 7-8 inches, around each stock. In the fields, lime is sown by 

 hand at the rate of 25-30 bushels of slaked lime per acre. In des- 

 troying snails lime spread as an impalpable powder gives the best 

 results. The operation is repeated several times if it is desired to 

 reach all the snails. Lime used against snails tends to be replaced by 

 nitrate of soda, tobacco powder, but especially by a 3-4 per cent solu- 

 tion of blue vitriol. This solution is sprayed on the plants at the time 

 the snails are on their rounds ; the snails which are attacked die 



