2 



Spraying of Fruit Trees. 



with Paris Green, they are quickly killed. This is the most 

 effectual way of preventing serious infestation by caterpillars 

 of the Winter moth and its several allies, and of other biting 

 insects, and it is becoming rather more general in this 

 country, at least in the case of fruit trees under which there 

 are no fruit bushes, such as gooseberries and currants, or 

 grass that may be eaten by sheep or cattle. For aphides and 

 other sucking insects, such as the Psylla malt, spraying with 

 strong solutions of quassia and soft soap, in the proportion of 

 7 lbs. to 9 lbs. of quassia chips and 81bs. of soft soap to ioo 

 gallons of water, is of great advantage, especially if it is done 

 early and repeated once or twice. In some instances growers 

 spray three times during May and June. Where spraying 

 is adopted it is found that grease-banding is unnecessary, 

 and much expense is saved, and risk of failure avoided ; for 

 unless grease-banding is thoroughly done, and the bands 

 kept in working order until the spring, it may be useless, as 

 some varieties of moths do not ascend the trees for the 

 purpose of laying eggs until March. 



In the United States Paris Green solutions are made by 

 dissolving i lb. of Paris Green in from 180 to 200 gallons of 

 water. Two pounds of quicklime are often put in this 

 mixture to neutralise the arsenical acid and prevent the 

 scorching of the leaves. 



Kerosene or paraffin emulsion is made by mixing two 

 gallons of kerosene or paraffin in one gallon of water in 

 which half a pound of soft soap has been boiled. This must 

 be thoroughly churned up together, and diluted with nine 

 parts of water, and then put on in a fine spray in cases of 

 attacks by sucking insects. The quassia and soft soap 

 solution so largely used in England against sucking insects 

 is not adopted in America. 



There is often great waste in getting the extract from the 

 quassia chips. The proper mode is to steep the chips in 

 cold water, so that the extract may be gradually produced ; 

 but to save time and trouble most fruit-growers and hop- 

 growers boil the chips : a process which entails much loss. 

 I ' pon a few large farms there are tanks specially made for 

 steeping quassia chips. 



