January i, 1891.] 
THE TROPICAL ACffnCCLTURlST, 
491 
cyclone nozzles; it is best done in the cool of the 
day, and where possible, in calm or cloudy weather; 
two or three sprayings at intervals of a few weeks 
being jjreferable to a single treatment. 
The following is a gocd receipt: — Two parts of oil 
to one of soap solution or milk (the soap solution 
being made by dissolving from a quartfr to one pound 
of common soap, or whale-oil soap, in one gallon of 
water). The whole is violentlj’ agitated, at a tem- 
perature of about 100° F., by driving it backwards 
and forwads through a spray nozzle. The emulsion 
thus formed is diluted with nine parts of water. 
Flour or resin soap-wash is sometimes added to the 
kerosene wash, to give it greater adhesiveness, [N.B.] 
and 4 or 6 ounces of arsenious acid (or half a 
pound of arsenic, half a pound of sal-soda, boiled 
m half a gallon of water till the arsenic is dissolved, 
or half a pound of London purple) is sometimes added 
to each 100 gallons of the wash, to render it more 
effective. 
Pyrethrum rosevm and pyrethrum cincraria^olium^ two 
plants, natives of Asia and Europe respectively, have 
long been known to possess insecticide properties, 
especially the powder from the dried and pulverised 
flowers. Tdis powder can be used in liquid solution 
and its action on many larvce is marvellous, the smallest 
quantity paralyzing and ultimately killing. As the 
insecticide property dwells in a volatile oil its influence 
in the open air is evanescent, in which respect it is 
far inferior to the arsenical products ; hut, being 
perfectly harmless to plants, it can frequently be 
used on vegetables where the more poisonous sub- 
stances would be dangerous. 
Of all insecticides to be used against root-feeding 
insects naphthaline, sulpho-carbonate of potassium, 
and bisulphate of carbon are the chief. It has recently 
been shown that naphthaline in crystal may be satis- 
factorily used under ground, destroying by slow 
evaporation. But bisulphide of carbon still holds the 
first place in France against Phylloxera vastatrix. 
Large quantities of the latter are now imported from 
England into Capo Colony for the purpose of treat- 
ing the phylloxerated vineyards. 
In the above extracts is summarized most of 
the information available regarding insecticides and 
their application. But as in Ceylon we have to 
deal at present specially with the green scale insect 
on ooflee, I would repeat my recommendation for 
a trial of the simple remedy of rice flour mixed 
with water and gum or some viscid substance, 
applied of suoh a consistency that it may adhere 
to and kill the insects by asphyxiation. Essence 
of leaves of gums and mana grass might be added 
to the mixtures, or decoctions containing their acid 
and volatile oil properties might ba sprayed on 
the bushes, after the adhesive ^matter has been on 
for some days, or at alternative intervals. For 
application the “ strawsonizer ” promises to be 
useful, but a hand pump with a nozzle will an. 
ewer, or where the affected patches are limited, 
coir brushes might suffice. So much for the pre- 
sent, but I may recur to the subject. 
IN3SCT AND FUNGOID PESTS AND THEIR EEMEDIESS — 
HOW TO CONQUER GREEN BUG — BIRD ENEJIIES — HARE 
— FEYING-FOXE3 — MONKEYS — RATB. 
To revert to the N. S. Wales papers on insect 
and fungoid pests, it is stated that oidium on 
vines can be fought with finely powuered sulphur, 
while a paper by a German scientist is quoted, 
showing that the destruction of vines affected by 
PhijUoxera vcatatrix could be obviated by insertion 
amongst the vines of tubular poles, down which 
creosote was poured into the earth, so reaching 
and klling the insects. A small midge-like fly 
which attacked vines, peaches and other fruit trees 
was destroyed (as was the foliage and fruit) by a 
solution of carbolic soap mixed with tob.acco juice. 
Had a viscid preparation suoh as birdelime been 
applied, the fly might have been killed without the 
sacrifice of the leaves and fruit. Mr. Scobie, m.l.a. 
stated in a paper on pests: — 
Of insect pests, in their different metamorphoses,, 
we hare the grape caterpillar {Ayarista ylycine), mottled 
red and white; also a large groen kind; two kinds of 
grape grasshoppers; the boring grub in fiuit- trees 
three kinds; the elephant beetles (0;'f/w/T/u««s 
(Irirostris) , also borers in the larval stage ; and a, 
smaller variety even more destructive than are the 
larger one? ; two kinds of cicadie, large and small ; two 
kinds of beetles, small, which attack China peaches 
principally, American blight and codlin moths on 
apple-trees, and the aphides on orange and peach 
trees. 
The red-and-white caterpillar has been very numerous 
of late years, destroying whole vineyards for a season 
by eating up all leaves and fruit. The large green 
kind has not been so numerous but is of the same 
habits. Both kinds of grasshoppers attack the foliage 
a'miost from its first start ; they hatch about the same 
time as the first sign of growth appears, and then spoil 
the young bunches till berries form, and again they 
nibble the skin of the berries when ripe, making them 
turn into raisins in a dry time, and mould at other 
wetter time. They also eat pieces out of much of the 
tree fruit in the same way. 
The boring grub or borer pierces the limbs of trees, 
and lives on the bark, making a cover of its dry 
excrement, under shelter of which it works, and when 
disturbed goes backward into hia bole. A small variety 
of a dark colour has much the same habit, but 
generally takes advantage ot some small crack or knot 
to afford it cover, or otherwise eats its way into the 
pith ot the smaller branches, if there be no other way 
by which it can get in, such as where a piece has 
been broken across or cut off. The large boring grub, 
which works in the trunk or large limbs of old trees, 
apparently living on the juice of the wood operated 
on, changes to a very large beetle with long feelers. 
The larger kinds of elephant beetles are very 
destructive to old vines. The grub of this beetle lives 
on the sap of the wood of the vine during winter. 
In spring it changes to the beetle form, eats its way 
out of the vine, then travels about and lives on the 
buds even before or just as thoy begin to show the 
first s%n of life. Sometimes they eat a hole in the 
centra by inserting their trunk, but mostly eating the 
eye clean up. Sometimes a beetle will travel com- 
pletely round a vine, eating out every eye, thereby 
destroying all prospect of iruit. Even after the shoots 
are well advanced a great many break off because of 
being partly or wholly eaten through. The grub is 
readily found when one is pruning, as often, wuen a 
little strain is put on the branch operated on, it will 
break in consequence of tbe inside wood being so 
much burrowed through. The smaller and even more 
destructive variety — more destructive because of its 
greater numbers and different mode of attack — has only 
been known to us within the last ten years or so. It 
makes its appearance just as the vines commence 
buuding, having apparently come to maturity in tbe 
ground, for there is no sign of this sort having bred 
in the vine. It creeps up the vine stock, and simply 
punctures the buds with its trunk, and if not cai'efully 
taken off will spoil tbe crop. It is about the size of 
a wheat grain, sometimes larger, aud ot the colour of 
the bark, and it takes a practised eye to detect it. 
Both varieties can fly, but wherever this latter variety 
appears it siireads slowly and surely, and, uotwith- 
stauding our best care, is increasing. Hand-picking 
is the only remedy we know of. 
The two varieties of the beetle which attack the fruit, 
principally the China peach, are well known, and I 
will do no more than mention them. 
The well-known cottony aphis, or American blight, 
is familiar to all apple-growers, the dark aphis on 
orange-trees to orange-growers, and peaoh aphis to 
peach-growers; aud we have many varieties of scale 
insects all more or less injurious. 
When to all the above the deadly phylloxera is 
added, it will be seen that the Australian vignorona 
and orchardiats have a aevere battle to fight with 
insect enemies. One orebardist stated that tbe 
