770 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Locust. Birds and small mammals feed upon the nymphs, particularly 

 when they come out of the soil (at night), while the fungus Massospora 

 cicadina attacks and kills large numbers of the insects. — F. J. C. 



Cider, Preparation of Sterile Must. By G. Perrier (Compt. 

 Bend. Jan. 1905, p. 234). — In the ordinary method the must of cider 

 obtained by pressure or by diffusion is left to ferment without the addition 

 of yeast; consequently the result is sometimes satisfactory, sometimes 

 otherwise, often furnishing cider of only medium quality, and rarely 

 constant. 



The aim should be to obtain sterile must to which can be added pure 

 yeast, either of one kind or more, and thus secure cider of good quality. 

 Numerous experiments demonstrated the difficulty of sterilising must, 

 which undergoes undesirable changes when exposed to heat, antiseptics, 

 &c. It is not practicable to sterilise must containing yeast ; hence an 

 endeavour was made to obtain must perfectly free from yeast. Pasteur's 

 researches showed that wild yeasts are present only on the surface of 

 Grapes, and the same is true of Apples. The object, then, was to render 

 the fruit sterile so far as yeast on its surface was concerned. The 

 experience of three years has shown that this can be effected by the use of 

 formaldehyde [formalin]. The method is as follows : 



The fruit is first washed in ordinary water, and afterwards in water 

 containing, eight parts of pure formalin in a thousand parts of water. The 

 fruit remains in this solution from five to ten minutes, and is then again 

 washed in pure water to remove all trace of formalin. The fruit is then 

 crushed in the ordinary manner, first taking the precaution to wash all 

 apparatus with water containing four parts of formalin to one thousand 

 parts of water. 



Must obtained by this method does not ferment spontaneously ; it is 

 sterile so far as the presence of yeast is concerned. Samples of must thus 

 prepared made the voyage from Bennes to Buenos Ayres and back again 

 without undergoing fermentation. All traces of formalin disappear after 

 some hours, and when yeast is added fermentation commences normally, 

 and the result is a perfectly natural cider not containing a trace of 

 formalin. 



The advantages gained by this simple and inexpensive method of 

 sterilising the Apples are : — 1. The preservation of must from one year to 

 another, thus anticipating a scarcity of fruit. 2. To furnish at all seasons 

 of the year a supply of newly made cider. — G. M. 



Citrous Trees and Fruits : Wither-tip and other diseases of. 



By P. H. Rolfs (U.S.A. Dep. Agr. Bur. Bl. Ind., Bull. No. 52, March 3, 

 1901 ; G plates). — Wither-tip was unknown in Florida until 1886. In 

 1901 it had only a passing interest, whilst it is now present in every Citrus- 

 growing region of the State. 



The diseases caused by the fungus Co/letotrichum ghcosporioides (Penz.) 

 manifest themselves as wither-tip on Orange, Pomelo, and Lemon twigs, 

 as leaf-spots on leaves of various citrous species, as anthracnose on Lime 

 blossoms, recently set Limes, Lime twigs, and Lemon twigs, as Lemon- 

 spot of ripe Lemons, and as canker on Limes. 



