12 BULLETIN 965, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the wounds. The ultimate effect was such rapid drying of the 

 scraped tissues that great flakes of bark peeled off, temporarily 

 injuring the trees, although they soon recovered. When sticky 

 bands are to be removed, therefore, this should be done without 

 scraping the bark and the thin film will assure gradual drying of the 

 bark without subsequent injury. 



AXLEGREASE AND StICKY TrEE-BaNDING MATERIAL. 



A mixture compounded of 1 part of ordinary black axlegrease 

 and 2 to 3 parts of sticky tree-banding material recommended by 

 J. R. Horton ^ was tried on a large number of trees in different 

 localities. This material proved inferior to undiluted sticky material. 

 A few hot, dry days in summer usually caused sufficient hardening 

 of the surface for the ants thereafter to cross at will. 



Sulphur and Sticky Tree-Banding Material. 



By far the most satisfactory ''tree-sticky" substance tried was a 

 mixture of sulphur and commercial sticky tree-banding material in 

 the following proportions : ' 



Finely pulverized flowers of sulphur parts by weight. . 1 



Commercial sticky tree-banding material parts by weight. . 6 



The two materials should be thoroughly mixed until of a uniform 

 consistency. In small quantities this should be done with a wooden 

 paddle, although for large amounts that method is too slow and costly. 

 The most satisfactory method observed by the writers for preparing 

 large batches was a turning machine such as a lathe to which was 

 attached a large corkscrew arrangement. A gallon pail partly filled 

 with the proper proportions of ingredients could be mixed to proper 

 consistency in a few minutes and with little effort. The attempt 

 of one orchardist using a shovel to prepare the mixture in 100-pound 

 lots naturally gave a very unsatisfactory mixture, with the sulphur 

 in lumps, rather than a smooth, consistent mass as desired. 



After preliminary experiments had proved that the bands of 

 sulphur and sticky material were superior to all other tree-banding 

 materials used, they were given a very extensive tryout over two 

 seasons under widely differing climatic conditions. The results 

 were variable. In one experiment in which 42 large trees had a 

 heavy 5-inch band applied May 1, only 2 had been crossed by 

 August 14, a period of 3^ months. Three adjacent plots comprising 

 a total of 208 trees, for the most part with limbs 3 to 4 inches in 

 diameter, were treated with bands 2 to 2^ inches wide. From 18 to 

 34 per cent of these bands were crossed within one month. In 



'^ HoKTON, J. R. SOME WEATHERPROOF BANDS FOR USE AGAINST ANTS. In Calif. State Comm. Hort. 

 Monthly Bui., v. 5, no. 11, p. 420. 1916. 

 5 Horton, J. R. Op. cit. 



