24 
more favorable for the rapid development of the scale insects, since 
experience has shown that the scale flourishes best in dry, warm 
weather, and that wet weather and moist, heavily-shaded localities 
retard its development. The whale-oil soap may be used in accordance 
with directions previously given with a reasonable assurance that 
above 90 per cent of the scales on the tree will be killed by a thorough 
application. It seems certain that with careful usage pure kerosene 
may be applied with safety to trees of a certain age, with the possible 
exception of peach, but, as heretofore stated, each fruitgrower must 
experiment first in order to be certain that he knows how to apply the 
insecticide. The trees should be carefully watched after the treatment 
and on into the summer, and whenever crawling larvae are found an 
application of kerosene emulsion or of the mechanical mixture of kero- 
sene and water should be made in case the owner has not found the 
secret of safe application of pure kerosene. This application may have 
to be repeated later in the season. 
A PRECAUTION IN DESTROYING RUINED TREES. 
There is an important fact connected with the life history of the 
insect, to which particular attention must be called. On young trees 
the scales seem to extend not only to the surface of the ground, but 
even beneath the surface, so that in destroying a badly infested tree it 
is necessary not only to cut it off close to the ground, but to grub up 
the roots. Professor Webster tells me that a number of times in his 
experience where trees have been cut off below the surface of the 
ground, young shoots which sprung up afterwards were found to be 
covered with the scale, and Dr. Smith records a similar instance in his 
report for 1897. Professor Webster, in fact, records in " Entomological 
News " for December, 1897, an instance where a tree was cut off from 6 
to 8 inches below the surface of the ground and scales were found on 
the young shoots which came up subsequently. He thinks that per- 
haps ants carry the young scale insects below ground. 
OTHER REMEDIES. 
As a matter of course, a certain amount of experimentation has been 
carried on by individuals with remedies other than those here men- 
tioned and with mixtures already experimented with, as indicated in 
Bulletin No. 3. None of these, however, have shown sufficiently good 
results to necessitate detailed mention. The most successful experi- 
ment with a new substance which is known to the writer was tried by 
Mr. L. A. Snow, of Tifton, Ga., who sent to the office at the close of the 
year 1895 twigs of trees which he had sprayed with hot water. Exami- 
nation showed that the scales were all killed except 6 larvae on one twig, 
2 females and 3 larvae on another, and 1 female and 1 larva on a third. 
All of these living individuals, however, had been protected by buds or 
by scales. 
