54 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



beetle. This wholesale destruction can hardly be characterized as 

 less than inexcusable and, in the estimation of some, might well be 

 termed criminal negligence. It should be stated that the above 

 conditions are not representative of all sections of the city, though 

 they are typical of certain regions and important in that they give 

 a concrete idea of what may be expected in other communities if 

 the elm leaf beetle is allowed to multiply unchecked or is fought 

 in a more or less desultory manner. It should be further noted 

 that the lamentable conditions on Hamilton street and vicinity, 

 noted above, are in an area which has been sprayed more or less 

 thoroughly, mostly the latter, we fear, for over a decade. This 

 injury is not the result of one season's neglect but is the cumula- 

 tive effect of severe injury, in spite of spraying for a series of 

 years. We would also add in this connection that the spraying in 

 Albany during 191 2 has given materially better results. 



The selection of a spray outfit for community work is a some- 

 what difficult matter. Elms, even large trees, can 1)e thoroughly 

 sprayed with a hand outfit, provided the pump is of a good type, 

 there is plenty of hose, the tree is climbed and the distribution is 

 thorough. Work with a hand outfit is slow, costly and can be 

 recommended only when comparatively few trees are to be 

 sprayed. There are a number of light power sprayers equipped 

 w4th engines of i^ to 4 or 5 horse power which have been exten- 

 sively used in shade tree w^ork. These are generally provided 

 with plenty of hose and much climbing is usually obligatory, espec- 

 ially if a nozzle delivering a fine spray is employed. The latter 

 is ideal, though on account of the large amount of labor necessary 

 in order to bring the nozzle sufficiently close to the foliage, spray- 

 ing in this manner is costly. This has resulted in the gradual 

 change from the fine spray to the coarse spray, and from that to a 

 modified solid stream and eventually to a solid stream. The 

 latest development along this line has been the large outfit wnth a 

 10 horse power engine capable of delivering the insecticide at the 

 mouth of a nozzle one-quarter of an inch in diameter or there- 

 abouts at a pressure of 200 pounds. The nozzle generally used 

 with this equipment is about six feet long and is capable of throw- 

 ing the insecticide to the top of the tallest trees even when the 

 operator is standing upon the ground. This outfit makes possible 

 the very rapid treatment of many trees and greatly reduces the 

 cost of application, which amounts to only ten to twenty cents a 

 tree. Experience has shown that this high pressure stream breaks 



