342 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I916. 



An August spray to kill out colonies before the .migrants flv 

 and the hibernating young are produced is particularly desirable. 



The much more important root feeders, however, are more 

 difficult to reach and exterminate. The common recommenda- 

 tions are of applications of strong soap or tobacco washes to the 

 soil about the crown, or soot, ashes, or tobacco dust buried about 

 the roots ; also similarly employed are lime and gas-lime. 



Badly infested nursery stock should be destroyed, since it 

 would be worth little even with the aphids removed. 



Some nurseries are said to make a practice of "puddling" 

 roots of infested stock, that is packing mud about the roots to 

 conceal their condition. Before purchasing puddled nursery 

 stock, the buyer should insist that the mud be washed off thor- 

 oughly so that the roots are exposed for inspection. 



Proper cultural methods can hardly be overestimated in their 

 value as a protection of young trees, as neglected orchards not 

 only suffer heavily but serve as a breeding ground, dangerous to 

 the neighboring trees. 



Formula A — Tobacco Decoction. 



Tobcco stems or tobacco dust 2 pounds 



Water 4 gallons 



Put the tobacco in the water, enough to cover, which may be either 

 cold or hot. Place over the fire and when the water has reached the 

 boiling point, remove some of the fire and allow the water to simply 

 simmer for fully one hour, when the liquid is ready to be drained off, 

 diluted to the above proportions and applied. Boiling violently drives 

 off the nicotine. 



If whole-leaf tobacco is used, prepare as above, using one pound oi 

 tobacco to each four gallons of water. 



No lime of other alkaline substance should be added to the tobacco 

 while cooking. Apply at once, or within a few days after making if 

 possible. 



Certain reliable extracts such as "Black Leaf," "Black Leaf 40" and 

 "Nikoteen" are on the market and can be secured through local drug- 

 gists. (The Black Leaf preparations are manufactured by The Ken- 

 tucky Tobacco Product Company, Louisville, Ky., and are carried by 

 the Collins Hardware Company, 97 Friend St., Boston, Mass. Nikoteen 

 is manufactured by The Nicotine Manufacturing Company, St. Louis, 

 Mo., and can be secured from Joseph Brick & Sons, 47S4 N. Market 

 St., Boston, Mass.). 



Directions for use come with the products. There is nothing to do 

 in the preparation of these extracts except to stir the contents of the 



