23 
AUTOMATIC MIXTURE oi KEROSENE AND WATER. 
Previously published objections by this Division to the use of appara- 
tus for automatically mixing kerosene and water have been based on 
the fact that careful trials of the early constructed machines showed 
that the oil and water could not be sprayed with uniform regularity as 
to percentages of the ingredients. Late improvements, however, have 
largely done away with this difficulty, and there are now machines on 
the market which accomplish the desired result with reasonable effi- 
ciency. These machines are coming into some use, and Mr. Gould, of 
the Cornell Station, does not hesitate to recommend an automatic mix- 
ture of 1 part kerosene to 4 parts water, which he has determined will 
not injure foliage of Cornus and Pyrus in June and July at Ithaca. 
Y. In the same way Professor Starnes, of Georgia, advocates the 
use of the automatic mixture 1 part kerosene to 15 parts water. 
EFFECT OF WINTER WASHES UPON BLOSSOMING. 
The experience of the past two years has shown that most strong 
winter applications of irsecticides, especially of whale-oil soap and resin 
wash, may have a more or less serious effect upon the blossoming of 
the tree. Kex>orts to this effect first began to reach us from fruit grow- 
ers in the vicinity of De Funiak Springs, Fla., one of the earliest locali- 
ties where the scale was found in the east, and a little later our own 
experience in Charles County, Md., verified this result. The experience 
of Captain Emory, in Kent County, Md., showed that spraying in the 
fall with strong whale-oil soap solution invariably reduced the number 
of blossoms to a very light percentage. Captain Emory informs the 
writer, however, that in spite of this destruction of the great majority 
of the blossoms his trees bore nearly as full a crop as he would desire. 
He was convinced, however, that late fall spraying generally produced 
this result. The experiences of others coincide. Spring spraying, how- 
ever, does not produce such an effect upon the fruit buds. When they 
have once begun to swell the action of the insecticide does not seem to 
be strong enough to seriously affect them. Thus Dr. Smith, in his last 
report, advises that winter treatment should not be made until Feb- 
ruary and may be delayed until March. This advice we are quite 
inclined to indorse. Sprayings have been made when the tree was 
actually in blossom without injurious effect upon the crop. 
PREPARING THE TREES FOR TREATMENT. 
The important point should be borne in mind that in the majority of 
cases the trees must be prepared for insecticide treatment. Trees 
badly infested should always be severely pruned. This process renders 
the insecticide application always much more enicient. It is true, how 
ever, that pruning the trees to a certain extent, and thus reducing the 
density of the foliage and the amount of shade, renders the conditions 
