ORANGE TREE AND COTTON PLANT. 7 
had but a few, yellowish leaves, and most of these dropped within a week. It, how- 
ever, pushed out new leaves during the winter, and made a respectable amount of 
branch growth during the past summer. At this date, far from being in dying con- 
dition, it is evidently prospering as well as its gnarled and stunted trunk will allow, 
and I do not hesitate to say that the shock of the kerosene started it from its dormant 
condition. I might give other instances of applications with kerosene used unneces- 
sarily strong or in imperfect mixtures with other liquids, in none of which have the 
trees been killed within the past year, but I prefer to cite only from my own notes. In the 
California report the concentrated solutions of lye seem to be recommended, although 
the effect upon the trees is evidently very severe. E. g., "'"No. 3, concentrated lye, one 
and one-half pounds: water, one gallon. June 23, .1681, lye so strong as to burn bark 
and foliage. * * * August 2, 1881 ; * * * bark being restored and new foliage 
appearing." I should call this heroic treatment. It would never do for orange trees, 
because it would make them hide-bound, if it did no worse. I made four experiments 
with potash lye (see Preliminary Report, table 6). The strongest solution isl pound 
to H gallons, applied December 31, 18S1 (Exp. 43). I find I have the following notes 
upon the condition of the tree: January 10, 1882; "Until within two or three days, 
the tree has not dropped many leaves. It is now severely defoliated. January 20, 
has ceased to drop leaves : defoliation complete upon the most badly infested branches; 
no leaves dropped on the most vigorous branches ; some dropped on nearly all older 
branches." At this date (November. 1882) the tree is alive, but seems to be suffering 
from a severe check, and hardening of the bark. The result on scale was not at all 
satisfactory in my experiments, but I have since had reason to suspect that the con- 
centrated lye used was not a good article. Mr. Voyle, who has tried apparently the 
same brand, told me that he suspected there was ;, no potash in it." What was sub- 
stituted he could not say. but it might be some form of caustic soda. I have had it 
in mind to repeat these experiments with a brand of potash known to be good. Shall 
I do so ? In my experiments Nob. 43. 44, and 45 (see Report, table 5) the trees were 
in very bad condition, coated with scale. I looked at them the other day, and they 
seemed to me to be in dying condition. This, however, may be partly due to scale, 
as the lye did not clear the tree. They have, however, been repeatedly washed, with 
the other trees in the same grove, during the past summer, the washes used being soap 
and kerosene emulsions of the strength I have recommended, i. e.. 66 per cent, oil in 
emulsions, emulsion diluted nine or ten times. That the present condition of these 
trees is not attributable to the kerosene is shown by the surrounding trees, many of 
which were in equally bad condition, but all of which show marked improvement. 
The further experience in this Bulletin, so far as it goes, bears out 
that above stated, and we shall continue experiments with the sole view 
of establishing the facts in relation to an insecticide which we have, 
thus far, good reason to believe is the most valuable for scale-insects, 
yet in our possession. 
C. V. E. 
