146 



English Orchards. 



of kerosene. After churning up this mixture, by means of a 

 force-pump, until it becomes creamy, twenty gallons oi 

 water should be added to it, and the whole well stirred. Two 

 sprayings with this should be sufficient to kill all the woolly 

 aphides. When they are on the trunk, the emulsion, made a 

 little thicker, should be worked in with a whitewash brush. 

 In America the root-inhabiting form of this aphis is checked 

 by the application of finely-powdered tobacco dust ; the earth 

 is removed, the tobacco dust is put on, and the earth laid 

 gently over it. In planting apple trees the roots should be 

 dipped in strong kerosene emulsion to kill any woolly 

 aphides that may be upon them. 



Apple trees are infested by many pests in the early spring 

 time, notably by the caterpillars of at least five moths, which 

 sometimes clear off both foliage and blossoms. As the 

 female moths are without wings and crawl up the trees to 

 lay their eggs upon the twigs, they may to a very great 

 extent be prevented from ascending by fastening bands of 

 greasy or sticky paper, or other material, round the trunks. 

 Upon the best managed fruit land it is customary to 

 band the trees regularly in the autumn as a part of the 

 ordinary practice ; just as it is usual for good man- 

 agers upon the slightest indications of caterpillars on 

 the leaves to spray every part of the trees thoroughly. The 

 swelling buds are examined with a magnifying glass 

 to ascertain whether there are any caterpillars present, 

 as in their early stages they are only about the twelfth of 

 an inch long, and as fine as threads, and if any are found, 

 spraying is done at once with strong solutions of quassia : 

 the extract of 8 or 9 lbs. of quassia with 7 lbs. of soft soap 

 to 100 gallons of water. This, sprayed over the branches by 

 means of strong garden engines fitted with extra 

 powerful pumps, makes the leaves and blossoms distaste- 

 ful to the caterpillars, and gives them a chance to grow 

 away from their attacks. It would be well to repeat the spray- 

 ing at short intervals, as there is a succession of caterpillars 

 for some weeks in the spring. Spraying with arsenical 

 washes, made of Paris Green and London Purple, is adopted 

 very generally by American producers of apples in order 



