PARIS-GREEN. 
87 
skilled as well as practical advice, are well worth notice :—“ Begin with 
too weak mixtures rather than too strong. Weak mixtures, although 
slower, are yet quite sure in their work. In your damp climate, too, 
it might be the case that the effects on foliage might be more injurious 
than in our dry air.”—(J. F.) 
It is somewhat curious that whilst in Canada, as observed by Mr. 
Fletcher in a part of the letter quoted above, “ Paris-green is more 
injurious to Plums than to Apples,” here the reverse, so far as we see 
at present, is the case. The proportion used for Apples is only half 
the strength of that which may safely be applied to Plums.— Ed. 
The following note of operations, sent on June 28th by Mr. John 
Riley, of Putley Court, Ledbury, is very well worth reading relatively 
to all the points entered on; notably success in destroying moth 
caterpillars by use of Paris-green, and without damage to foliage. 
Also wow-success in killing Aphides with this application, and success 
in use of soft-soap and quassia. I should like particularly to draw 
attention to this. It is not generally enough considered that Aphides 
feed by suction. They thrust their suckers down into the soft tissues 
on the juices of which they feed, and consequently are by no means 
certain to be hurt by poisonous matters lying on the surface of these 
leaves or shoots. The soft-soap adheres to them, and so chokes up 
their breathing-pores, and if anything can be added to the soft-soap 
which will injure these Aphides or Green Fly by being absorbed into 
them, it will be so much the better ; but Paris-green will not kill them 
(as it does the caterpillars) by means of their eating the poisoned 
surface:— 
“We tried Paris-green, London-purple, and clirysoline for the 
caterpillars. We began late, when the caterpillar was strong. Paris- 
green we found by far the best; it killed nearly all the caterpillars in 
a short time, and did not damage the foliage at all. It was used as 
recommended by your Committee. We afterwards tried it for Aphis, 
which was doing great damage to Plum trees and Damsons, at 1 lb. to 
100 gallons; this did not injure the foliage at all, but the Aphis did 
not in the least mind the application, and I have since had to wash 
with soft-soap and quassia, which was quite effectual. London-purple 
injured the foliage a little, and was not nearly as effective as Paris- 
green used as recommended. Clirysoline was also not so effective as 
Paris-green. In the Grass orchards I used alum, from 2 to 3| oz. to 
the gallon—caterpillars strong ; I think it rather checked them, but it 
did not kill many. I doubt if I saved much fruit by it, but perhaps 
the leaves were not so completely destroyed as they otherwise would 
have been. I had a jug of about 2 quarts with 4 ozs. of alum in, well 
mixed, and I bent down a sprig of Plum covered with Aphis into the 
solution, and the foliage was not injured, and the Aphis quite uninjured 
too.”—(John Riley.) 
