28 



The making of this wash will be greatly accelerated if the resin and 

 caustic soda are first pulverized before being placed in the kettle; if in 

 large pieces, a considerable length of time will be required in which to 

 dissolve them. If a sufficient quantity of water is not used at first the 

 materials when dissolved will form a thick, pasty mass, which simply 

 breaks open in places to allow the steam to escape, and pieces of the 

 mixture will be thrown out of the boiler or against its sides or lid by 

 the escaping steam. When this occurs, water should be added until 

 the solution boils up in a foamy mass. Whenever there is a tendency 

 to bod over a small quantity of cold water should be added, but not 

 too much, or the making of the solution will be retarded; after a few 

 trials the operator will learn how much water to add in order to pre- 

 vent the solution from boiling over and yet keep it in a brisk state of 

 ebullition. If it is not desired to add all of the water at the same time 

 that the solution is made, then enough can be added to equal two- 

 fifths of the quantity required ; the balance of the water can then be 

 added at any subsequent time without again heating the solution. 

 Thus, if a sufficient quantity of the solution is boiled to make when 

 diluted 100 gallons, this could first be diluted to make only 40 gallons, 

 and the remaining 60 gallons of water added at any time as required. 

 If it is desired to use it in a still more concentrated form than this, it 

 need not be diluted at all after it has been boiled sufficiently, but in 

 this case it will be necessary to heat it again before adding the water. 



On the 11th of February, between the hours of 1:30 and 4:20 p. in. 

 (sun shining, light breeze), I had 60 dormant deciduous fruit trees 

 sprayed with the above solution. Thevse consisted of peach, plum, apple, 

 pear, and quince trees; none of them had started to leaf out except the 

 quince, which had put forth a few leaves at the tips of some of its 

 branches. Each of these trees was infested with the San Jose scale 

 (Aspidiotus perniciosiis Comstock) and several of them had been almost 

 killed by the attacks of this pest. April 23 I made a careful examina- 

 tion of these trees and found only a very few living San Jose scales; 

 all of the trees except those which were nearly dead when sprayed were 

 now making a vigorous growth. May 12 I again examined these trees, 

 and found living San Jose scales on only three of them, about half a 

 dozen scales on each. I made another examination on the 11th day of 

 June, and found a few San Jose scales on some of the pears on the 

 above trees. All of the Black scales (Lecanium olece Bernard) which 

 I found on these trees were dead, and their eggs were dry. July 24 I 

 again examiued these trees and found three or four living San Jose 

 scales on a few pears and apples on some of the trees, but the fruit was 

 practically clean, whereas on adjoining trees which had not been 

 sprayed nearly all of the pears were very badty infested with these 

 scales. There was, however, a singular exception to this: A LeConte 

 pear tree that stood in the midst of several Bartlett and Winter Nelis 

 pear trees, which were very badly infested with the San Jose scale, was, 



