THE PROTECTION OF FRUIT-TREES. 403 



tried spreading newspapers and dark, woolen rags side by side, and always find the 

 majority of 'hoppers on the darker substance. This, I think, is on account of the 

 warmth imparted being greater from the hay and rags than from the straw and paper. 

 — [J. 1. Salter, Saint Cloud, Minn. 



One of our assistants in Kansas, Mr. G. Gaumer, found that, spread 

 upon the ground, it attracted and destroyed a great many; but it is very 

 clear that this mode of destroying the locust cannot compare with many 

 of those we have already described. Its use against the young locusts 

 is practically of little avail, because of the excessive numbers in which 

 they generally occur, and because of the danger incident to the use of a 

 poison on so loose and extensive a scale as would be necessary to make it 

 effectual. Several other ingredients were strongly recommended by cor- 

 respondents who, had they tried their own recommendations, would have 

 discovered the uselessness of the same. One suggested alum-water ; 

 another, from Estillville, Ya., expatiated on the merits of common salt, 

 to be used with an ordinary drill ; while still others found come pro- 

 tection from the copious use of ashes and of gypsum. Of all the diflterent 

 applications, however, intended to protect plants, we doubt whether 

 anything is more effectual than the spraying of a mixture of kerosene 

 and warm water, which will answer a very good purpose when the in- 

 sects are not too numerous or ravenous. 



THE PROTECTION OF FRUIT-TREES. 



The best means of protecting fruit and shade trees deserves separate 

 consideration. Where the trunks are smooth and perpendicular they 

 may be protected by whitewashing. The lime crumbles under the feet 

 of the insects as they attempt to climb, and prevents their getting up. 

 By their persistent efforts, however, they gradually wear off the lime and 

 reach a higher point each day, so that the whitewashing must be often 

 repeated. Trees with short, rough trunks, or which lean, are not very 

 well protected in this way. A strip of smooth, bright tin answers even 

 better for the same purpose. A strip 3 or 4 inches wide brought around 

 and tacked to a smooth tree will protect it, while on rougher trees a 

 piece of old rope may first be tacked around the tree and the tin tacked 

 to it, so as to leave a portion both above and below. Passages between 

 the tin and rope or the rope and tree can then be blocked by filling the 

 upper area between tin and tree with earth. The tin must be high 

 enough from the ground to prevent the 'hoppers from jumping from the 

 latter beyond it, ancl the trunk below the tin, where the insects collect, 

 should be covered with some coal-tar or poisonous substances to prevent 

 girdling. This is more especially necessary with small trees, and coal- 

 tar will answer as such preventives. 



One of the cheapest and simplest modes is to encircle the tree with 

 cotton batting, in which the insects will entangle their feet and thus 

 be more or less obstructed. Strips of paper covered with tar ; stiff paper 

 tied on so as to slope roof-fashion ; strips of glazed wall-paper, and 



