REMEDIES AND PREVENTIVES. 03 
resulting from the fall treatment more than offsets the possible failing 
of bloom. Owing to the impossibility of controlling- weather conditions 
and the practical difficulty of wetting every part of the plant, one 
spraying can not often be relied on to accomplish the death of all the 
scales, but two conscientious drenchings maybe expected to accomplish 
this result. These should bed) at the time of or shortly after the 
falling of the foliage in autumn, and (2) just before blooming in spring. 
desirability of a uniform grade of fish-oil soap. 
The greatest difficulty with the soap washes, and one which must be 
obviated before uniform results may be hoped for, is in the varying 
strength and character of the soap used. Xo two brands of soap on 
the market are alike, and the differing results which are obtained by 
experimenters are undoubtedly due in large measure to the char- 
acter of the soap itself, in connection, of course, with the varying 
climatic conditions. In addition to securing a good strong caustic 
soap, one is wanted which, at the strength employed on cooling, will 
not become a semisolid or glutinous stringy mass, as do most of the 
ordinary soaps and also many of the fish -oil soaps of more recent 
manufacture. The old whale or fish oil soap employed in the original 
experiments could be sprayed in solution cold at 3 pounds to the gallon, 
and this is a most necessary characteristic. It is highly desirable. 
therefore, that soap makers should be encouraged to undertake the 
manufacture of a definite brand of soap which can be relied upon to 
be uniform in composition and strength, and if possible to have some 
supervision by State or national authorities to insure such results. 
VARYING RESULTS AND EFFECTS OF WASHES OX TREE AND INSECT. 
In the treatment of trees with soap washes and other insecticides a 
number of interesting conclusions were reached, explaining the vary 
ing results found on different parts of the tree, the effect of the washes 
on the health of the tree and on the fruit, and the effect of the washes 
on the scales themselves. These conclusions will be of interest. They 
relate particularly to the experiments conducted by the division. 
Varying results on different parts of the stone tree. — Where the scales 
are thickly massed on the older and lower parts of the trunk, a wash 
is apt to be more efficient, and frequently in these situations scarcely a 
scale will survive, while on the extremities of the branches, where the 
scales are scattering, the percentage of living ones is greatly increased. 
This is evidently due to the fact that the smooth terminals, especially 
those of peach, do not retain much of the wash, and lose it more readily 
under the action of rains; also that insects in these situations are 
better nourished and perhaps more vigorous than where more thickly 
clustered. The dense incrustation of the scales on the bark produces 
also a roughness which holds the wash, and the latter naturally accum 
ulates also on the basal portion of the branches. 
A certain patchiness in result is often noted. In other words, on 
particular branches or sides of branches every scale will be destroyed. 
