ib THE SAX JOSE OE CHINESE SCALE. 



If sprayed in midwinter or earlier, the soap solution seems to prevent 

 the development of the fruit buds, and a loss of fruit for one year 

 is apt to be experienced, the trees leafing out and growino-, however, 

 perhaps more vigorously on this account. The soap treatment is per- 

 fectly safe for all kinds of trees and is very effective against the scale. 

 With large trees or badly infested trees, preliminary to treatment it 

 is desirable, with this as well as other applications, to prune them 

 back very rigorously. This results in an economy of spray and makes 

 much more thoro and effective work possible. The soap can be secured 

 in large quantities at from 3i cents to 4 cents a pound, making the 

 mixture cost, as applied to the trees, from 7 cents to S cents a gallon. 

 The success of the soap treatment is largeh' influenced by the quality 

 of the soap used. Many brands are on the market, mostly made with 

 soda lye. A potash soap should be insisted on. and one that does not 

 contain more than 30 per cent of water. The soda soap washes are 

 apt to be gelatinous when cold and difficult or impossible to spray 

 except when kept at a very high temperature. 



KEROSENE TREATMENT. 



This consists in spraying the trees with ordinary illuminating oil 

 (coal oil or kerosene). The application is made at any time during the 

 winter, preferably in the latter part, and by means of a spray pump 

 making a fine mist spray. The application should be made with the 

 greatest care, merely enough spray being put on the plant to moisten 

 the trunk and branches without causing the oil to flow down the trunk 

 and collect about the base. With the use of this substance it must be 

 constantly borne in mind that careless or excessive application of the 

 oil will be verv apt to kill the treated plant. The application should, 

 be made on a bright, dr}' day. so that the oil will evaporate as quickl}^ 

 as possible. On a moist, cloudy day the evaporation is slow, and 

 injurv to the plant is more apt to result. If the kerosene treatment 

 be adopted, therefore, it must be with a full appreciation of the fact 

 that the death of the tree may follow. This oil has been used, how- 

 ever, a great many times and very extensively without consequent 

 injury of any kind. On the other hand, its careless use has frequently 

 killed valuable trees. Its advantages are its effectiveness, its avail- 

 ability, and its cheapness, kerosene spreading very rapidh' and much 

 less of it being required to wet the tree than of a soap and water spray. 

 Pure kerosene is more apt to be injurious to peach and plum than to 

 pear and apple trees, and the treatment of the former, as with the 

 soap wash, should be deferred until spring, just before the buds swell. 

 With young trees especially it is well to mound up about the trunk a 

 few inches of earth to catch the overflow of oil, removing the oil- 

 soaked earth immediately after treatment. 



