Aeroplane Used for Dusting, Orchards 
A DREAM COMES TRUE.—Several years ago we 
made a half-playful statement that within a 
few years a hying machine might be used for spray¬ 
ing orchards. One of our artists drew an imaginary 
picture of a large machine carrying a tank pump. 
It was supposed to go floating over the orchard and 
blow the spray down through the tops of the trees. 
The idea seemed to impress most people like a dream 
or the idea of the average funny man. To show, 
however, that dreams may come true, Ave now have 
the report of an experiment in Ohio where an airship 
was used to throw dust down upon an orchard. It 
appears that a grove of Catalpa trees near Troy, 
Ohio, had been practically defoliated by worms. It 
was a difficult matter to get spray or dust to the tops 
of these trees, and so an effort was made to use an 
airship for the purpose. As we understand it, the 
ordinary mixture of arsenate of lead and sulphur 
was used for this purpose and a special 
sifter was used to throw out the dust. 
The airship flew about 20 or 25 feet 
alcove the tops of the trees, releasing 
the powder, which was carried by the 
wind and the air current of the pro¬ 
peller into every part of the trees. Of 
course this was done very rapidly. In 
fact, a few minutes spent in this way 
did a work which would require sev¬ 
eral days of men and spray pumps. 
The full effect of this kind of dusting 
has not yet been worked out. hut judg¬ 
ing from our own experience in using a 
power duster we fully believe that this 
method would he highly efficient. In 
fact, we think it would he better ap¬ 
plied in Hi is way from the top than 
would he the case when the dust is 
blown into the tree from the bottom. 
The pictures at Figs. 549 and 550 show 
the appearance of the dust after the 
airship had passed over the grove, 
ready to turn about for its return trip. 
There seems to us no good reason why 
such a plan should not work properly, 
and we shall not he surprised if this 
marks the beginning of a new phase in 
the business of dusting trees. Prof. II. 
A. Gossard of the Ohio Experiment 
Station gave the following account of 
this work in an address before the 
National Nut Growers’ Association: 
FUTURE AEROPLANE WORK.— 
“Air machines will doubtless he used in 
the future for many other uses than we 
have yet. discovered for them. In 
France they are being used as scout 
machines to discover the location of 
grasshopper swarms and then to scat¬ 
ter poisoned bait for the destruction of 
these Insects. 
A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE.—“Sev¬ 
eral months ago the city entomologist 
of Cleveland, after experiencing great 
difficulty in spraying some closely 
planted large trees in one of the subur¬ 
ban parks constituting the grounds of 
an important and wealthy club, con¬ 
ceived the idea that such a tract could 
be dusted from an aeroplane. He com¬ 
municated his idea to tiie Ohio Experi¬ 
ment. Station, and solicited our help. .T. S. Houser, 
who for a long time has had charge of our forestry 
entomology and who in past years had frequently 
co-operated with the City Entomologist, Mr. C. N. 
Neillie, was assigned to this project, l’y enlisting 
the help and interest of ex-Secretary of War Newton 
E. Baker arrangements were easily made to obtain 
the co-operation of the Military Air Service, and 
every facility at McCook Field. Dayton, Ohio, was 
placed at our disposal. A hopper was designed by 
a specially detailed mechanic to carry about 200 lbs. 
of arsenate of lead powder which could he emptied 
into the air by a series of revolving spoons operated 
by a hand crank. The hopper was attached to the 
side of the plane somewhat lower and behind the 
occupants of the car. so they would not breathe any 
of the dust. Besides the pilot in the car another 
man was needed to turn the crank. The propeller 
and current created by the movement of the machine, 
assisted by gravitation, distributed the dust, which 
was caught by the wind and carried through the tops 
of the trees. 
EFFECTIVE DUSTING.—“The opportunity for 
testing the aeroplane idea was afforded by a grove 
of Catalpas six acres in extent at Troy, Ohio, about 
20 miles north of Dayton. This grove was defoliated 
hv the Catalpa sphinx caterpillar in June, and the 
second brood came in force in early August and were 
stripping the new crop of leaves from the trees when 
the dusting checked them August 4. Six passes by 
the grove were made by the Aeroplane, but in general 
practice we believe only one or two will be necessary. 
The time during which dust was spilling from the 
hopper was 57 seconds. 'Phe aeroplane passed about 
50 ft. out from one side of the grove and 20 to 20 
ft. above the tops of the trees. A strong Avind car¬ 
ried the dust over the entire grove, nearly 400 ft. 
Avide, and it could he found in easily perceptible 
quantities on weeds and grass for 150 ft. in the pas¬ 
ture on the distant side of the grove. Effective dust¬ 
body wishing to test out the value of the aeroplane 
foj this use.” 
The Dusting Aeroplane in Operation. Fig. 5J/9 
.Another U iew of Aerial Warfare Against Caterpillars. Fig. 550 
ing was therefore done over a width of about 000 
ft., or at the rate of about 10 acres per minute, and 
since the passes can be reduced Avitli perfected ap¬ 
paratus from six to two a normal rate of application, 
may be expected to he about 20 acres per minute. 
Within three days after the application 99 per cent 
of the caterpillars were dead and strewn on the 
ground, hanging from the trunks and limbs, making 
the grove indescribably foul and repulsive. I feel 
sure that one aeroplane can dust a strip of forest or 
of pecan orchard in less time than 20 of the most 
poAverful liquid spraying machines can cover it. 
A FIELD FOR EXPERIMENT.—“The problem is 
to perfect dusting materials so they will give results 
comparable with those obtained by liquid spraying. 
Applications of arsenate of calcium for case bearers 
and hud worms on large orchards of big trees can 
probably be made more satisfactorily and expedi¬ 
tiously bv aeroplane than Avith sprayers. The 
Catalpa trees dusted were about 20 ft. tall and 
planted SxS ft. The Go\'ernment. air service seems 
not only Avilling but anxious to co-operate with any¬ 
The Corn Earworm 
W E have never seen this insect as abundant in 
corn and as injurious as it is this year in 
New York State, at least. It is a cosmopolitan in¬ 
sect, for it occurs practically all over the United 
States and in Europe. Asia, Africa and Australia. 
It is a serious pest to corn, tomatoes, cotton and 
tobacco. When it attacks the tomato at the blossom 
end it is known as the tomato fruit-worm. When it. 
attacks cotton it is known as the cotton boll-worm 
and Avhen it injures tobacco it is known as the false 
tobacco bud-Avorm. 
The small Avhite eggs of the moth are laid on the 
silk of the corn, Avliere they hatch, and the cater¬ 
pillars enter the tip ends of the ears, 
where they feed on the soft* kernels 
near the tip. but often, especially in 
sweet corn, they burrow dowmvard the 
Avhole length of the ear. q’he Avriter 
recalls that during the Summer of 1917, 
in Southern California, nearly every 
ear of sweet corn sold by the street 
hucksters Avas injured more or less by 
this insect, for the pest is partial to 
sAveet corn over field corn. When the 
caterpillars have become grown this 
Fall each one will enter the soil to the 
depth of from 4 to 6 in., where it con¬ 
structs an earthen cell, changes to a 
quiet form known as the pupa, and 
passes the Winter there. In the Spring 
each pupa transfers to a moth, which 
lays eggs to start off the generations 
for th<‘ Summer. 
Considerable confusion lias existed in 
the minds of many concerning this 
common ear-worm and the notorious 
European corn-borer. The corn ear- 
Avonn is about 114 in. long and from 
light, green to brown to almost black. 
It may he striped, spotted or plain in 
its markings. One should remember 
that this insect feeds on the surface of 
the ear just beneath the husks and 
does not bore within the cob or into the 
stalk, and does not make holes through 
the husks. 
The European corn-borer is only 
about half as large, being about three- 
fourths of an inch in length, and is 
mostly yellowish white in color Avith 
rather indistinct reddish-brown stripes 
and Avitli small brown spots on tlie 
body. This insect is a borer, and bur¬ 
rows into the stalk and into the cob 
of the ear. 
The corn ear-worm can lie controlled 
to some' extent by plowing early in 
Spring, before the moths have appeared, 
for the purpose of destroying the pupa* 
in their cells in the ground. 4'he soil 
should he plowed deeply and then thor¬ 
oughly disked or certainly harrowed. 
In plantings of sweet corn consider¬ 
able success has been obtained by dust¬ 
ing the silks with a mixture of pow¬ 
dered arsenate of lead one part and sulphur one 
part. The material should be dusted freely on the 
silks, and must be maintained on them during the 
green period of the ears. At least three treatments 
applied Avitli a cheesecloth or tin can sifter av i 11 be 
necessary. oi.knx av. herrick. 
Building the Suitable Farm Fence 
Fart I IT. 
F ASTENING THE WIRES.—When stretching is 
complete the wire is cut beyond the stretchers, 
leaving sufficient length to wrap about the post. It is 
fastened by putting the wares about the posts and 
tAA'isting them about themselves at the start. Care 
should he taken to see that the top and bottom Avircs 
of the fence are stretched equally, and a stretcher 
which,.pulls from both the top and bottom of the 
fence rather than one central point alone is to he 
preferred, as it gives better opportunity to get a 
uniform stretch in the top and bottom wires. The 
slack can best be taken from* the ends when splicing 
