12 JOUEXAL OF THE EOYAL HORTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 
The soap and water are boiled together, then paraffin is added. The 
mixture is well stirred or agitated with a garden syringe. For use, 1 part 
of the mixture is added to 9 of water, and applied to the bark either as a 
spray before the leaf opens or with a brush in summer. 
Dr. Fletcher recommends a solution of washing soda so strong that 
no more will dissolve in the water, then dilute the soap to the proper 
consistency. 
To counteract mildew on the leaves of gooseberry bushes, potassium 
sulphide, 8 ozs. to 25 gallons of water, is employed. 
Fruit Tree Banding. 
The placing of bands of sticky material to prevent the ascent of the 
female Winter moth, in America called the Canker moth, is practised to 
some extent in Nova Scotia, though it is generally considered that if 
spraying is thoroughly done at the right periods grease banding is not 
necessary. 
The substances chiefly used are bands of tarred roofing paper painted 
with printers' ink, or castor oil and resin applied direct to the tree. 
Professor Craig recommended, for winter use, 2 lbs. castor oil to 3 lbs. 
of resin warmed together, but not boiled, applied warm with a 2-in. paint 
brush; and for spring use, 2 lbs. castor oil to 4 lbs. resin. These mixtures 
are applied after scraping off loose bark, either direct or on the surface of 
paper. The band is placed about 2 feet from the ground, is about 6 in. 
wide, and is put on at the end of October or early in November. 
Grease banding seems specially useful in the case of large trees, which 
it is difficult to spray thoroughly. 
Apple Picking and Packing. 
The kind of ladder commonly used for apple picking is one fairly 
broad at the base, but the sides of which at the upper end terminate in a 
point ; this construction is liked, as the ladder can be so conveniently 
placed among the branches. The baskets used are of a rounded shape, 
with swing handle, holding a little more than a peck. These are con- 
venient for emptying the fruit gently into the barrels, in which they are 
removed from the orchard without sorting. Fallen apples are picked up 
and sent to Halifax. 
The barrels of apples are placed either in a special apple-packing 
house, or more generally in the cellar under the barn or house, ready for 
sorting and repacking. The apples are sent over to England chiefly 
between the end of September and the end of March. For sorting, the 
apples are poured out of the barrels on to a table, usually about 5 feet 
long and 3 feet v/ide, with a ledge all round 4 or 5 inches high, covered 
with carpet, felt, or sacking. The sorting divides the apples into : — 
1st. Of good size and quality ; 
2nd. Smaller, but of good quality, both shipped to England ; 
3rd. Scrubs, which are sound, but scabbed, ill-formed, or other- 
wise defective, sent to local market ; and 
4th. Rotten, for pigs. 
Sometimes the extra good apples are picked out as specially 
selected." 
