April Si, 1*90. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
883 
I X your issue of the 30th January last you did excellent service to 
fruit growers by giving engravings of branches taken from some 
-of my fruit trees sent to you by my gardener, Mr. S. T. Wright. 
Fig. 17, c (page 95), showed within a radius of about a quarter of 
^in inch a deposit of no less than 152 winter moth eggs. The 
total loss of my fruit crop of last year caused by these pests, and 
in addition the wholesale destruction of this year’s Pear buds, 
jiaturally decided me to do my utmost to get rid of the devastator. 
A serious task it has been, and only very partially successful. 
The number of trees is about 6000. Three men were occupied 
■six weeks in cutting off the ends of branches, and I am afraid to 
•say how many millions of eggs we have burned. By keeping 
branches in my early Peach house, and watching them daily, I 
made the unpleasant discovery that the hatching period is spread 
■over seven weeks. Out of doors it seems to be shorter. I have 
ralso been experimenting on branches dipped in sundry substances 
and liquids with a view of destroying the eggs by either sealing 
them in the interstices, which can be done with white lead, or 
burning them with vitriol, &c., which cannot be depended upon. 
Then came the difficult question. What is to be done ? I 
have been in correspondence with Miss E. A. Ormerod, whose 
kindliness and energy are unending. She very kindly sent me her 
report for 1889, and that decided me to try Paris green. Up 
"to the present time we have been aiming at compassing the death 
of our insect enemies by direct action on their bodies, now we 
have to arrive at the result indirectly by poisoning their food. 
Let me at this stage caution all fruit growers, whether masters 
or gardeners, against accepting anything I may write, but to 
make experiments for themselves. Miss Ormerod informs us in 
the report above named that the manufacturers of Paris green 
are Messrs. Blundell, Spence & Co , Limited, of Hull, and 9, 
Upper Thames Street, London. These gentlemen sent me a 
-supply, and have kindly informed me that Paris green has been 
in use for many years in the United States as an insecticide. 
Our earliest discovery of caterpillars was made on the 27th 
March, the season being then three weeks earlier than 1889, and 
■consequently there was plenty of food ready for them. I was 
caught inpping I am afraid—lulled into a sense of security by the 
cnormon - destruction of eggs. My magnifying glass soon brought 
a rude a akening. Here let me say that any opinion expressed by 
anyone i.jt using a magnifying glass is utterly valueless. The 
■caterpillars in the early stages are so small that very few eyes can 
■detect their existence. When leaves are not to be had they 
■do equally well on buds, and a very few days suffice for the 
■destruction of fruit prospects. I first made tests in order to 
arrive at a safe strength at which to apply the liquid without 
damaging the foliage, and found that some little damage was 
done to the leaves, but not to the buds, from an application 
of 1 oz. of Paris green to four gallons of water. Messrs. 
Blundell write, “Paris green should be mixed with water—say 
1 lb. to 200 gallons water, and never stronger than 1 lb. to 
120 gallons water. The application should be in the form of fine 
spray by means of a force pump. The foliage need not be 
drenched, but the spray should be allowed to fall upon the trees 
until it begins to drop from the leaves. Dry weather should, if 
possible, be chosen for the application. The Paris green is a fine 
No, 613.—VoL. XX,, Thibd Series. 
crystal, insoluble in water. It should be kept in suspension during 
use by being well stirred. As Paris green is poisonous be careful 
in the use of it, especially in the dry state, and avoid breathing 
the poison which is given off when the colour is handled.” These 
gentlemen are now laying themselves out to supply the demand 
which is springing up, and have just sent me a circular with all 
needful information, which doubtless they will forward to anyone 
interested. 
After my experience as above I adopted as a simple and easily 
remembered formula 2 ozs. of Paris green to 20 gallons of 
water ; but think it would be prudent after the first spraying 
to reduce to 2 ozs. to 25 gallons. Owing to unavoidable delay 
I could not commence spraying until the 11th inst. I much 
regret this, for it is evident from what I have written above 
that all trees should be sprayed before the first caterpillar is 
hatched. The delay has caused me serious damage. On ex¬ 
amining the sprayed trees on the morning of the 12th I found 
quantities of dead caterpillars and aphides. Bearing in mind the 
fact that the eggs are hatching during a period of some weeks, 
and also that it was desirable to ascertain whether repeated 
spraying would injure the trees, I had one row of Mother Apple 
sprayed for the second time that day (12th), and the result being 
more deaths and no apparent damage to the foliage, we sprayed on 
the 14th and again on the 17th. At the present date (19 th) I can 
report favourably all round. So long, however, as the caterpillar 
appears we must spray. 
The bitterly cold weather is against us, as it prevents the 
opening of the buds, and the liquid cannot easily find its way into 
the folded leaves where the insect is eating away at its ease. I am 
afraid no more can be done this season, but not a moment should 
be lost. I take a very gloomy view of fruit prospects in all dis 
tricts infested with caterpillars last year. Pears, Apples, and 
Plums are alike affected, and the worst of it is that the apathy or 
want of knowledge on the part of the enormous majority of fruit 
growers has led them to neglect all remedies. I can only say that 
in spite of great vigilance, and after the adoption of all sorts of 
preventive measures, I shall regard myself as very fortunate if 
I can save a fair crop of Apples and Plums, and this under more 
favourable conditions of soil, climate, and culture than fall to the 
lot of most growers. 
One word as to spraying. All gardeners up to their work can 
of course spray, but Mr. S. H. Stott of Fulwood, near Preston, 
has patented a small brass sprayer, which will do good service 
where skilled labour is not available. The strawsoniser is a perfect 
sprayer, and has been remodelled, but owing to a strike among the 
workmen at Messrs. Hornsby’s works is not for the moment avail¬ 
able." Mr. Strawson tells me tliat his new hand machine will throw 
spray many feet high. With its aid and the use of Paris green I 
entertain strong hopes that farmers, hop growers, and gardeners 
will be able to show good fight against their common enemies, and 
that at a very moderate outlay. Let me strongly urge all who are 
troubled by insect pests to think over what I have written, and act 
upon it.—D. Lee Camprell, Glcwston Court. 
[Very strongly do we advise all our readers who grow fruit in 
localities where the greatest of all scourges to the trees abound— 
the winter moth and its voracious larvae, the looper caterpillars—to 
“ think over ” very carefully whit Mr. Lee Campbell has kindly 
written for the public benefit. He is generous enough to credit 
us with doing good service by publishing (in our issue above 
mentioned) magnified examples of the eggs and lurking places of 
the small but destructive foe of the orchard and fruit garden ; but 
the chief credit belongs to our correspondent and his gardener for 
discovering the “ nests ” in which the eggs of the winter moth 
were ensconced, and placing samples at our disposal. So far as we 
know nothing of the kind that we were able to represent had been 
hitherto made public, even if the position of the nesting eggs were 
♦ The strike, we beliovo, has terminated. 
No. 2169.— VoL. LXXXIL, Old Series. 
