362 REporRT OF THE ACTING POMOLOGIST OF THE > 
Spraying seems to come short of accomplishing the desired 
end, as the habit of the aphis in curling the leaves, furnish them 
protection, and make it impossible to reach them with the spray 
in sufficient quantities to destroy them. This must be done if at 
all, while the trees have but little foliage, or are entirely dormant. — 
Tt seems reasonable to believe that the eggs might be destroyed, 
at this time in numbers sufficient to hold the aphis in check, by 
some liquid, in spray, which would not endanger the life of the 
tree. Another advantage would be the saving in liquid required 
to accomplish the work, and the saving of time also, as it could 
be done early in the season before the spring work has been fairly 
commenced. 
To find if kerosene, either in emulsion, or in its pure state, 
would fill any of these requirements and to verify, if possible, 
some of the work already done, the following expen were 
earried out. 
EXPERIMENT WITH KEROSENE EMULSION. 
An experiment was made with kerosene emulsion to test its 
efficiency in destroying the eggs of the apple aphis (Aphis malt). 
A twig of the previous year’s growth was found on one of the 
trees in the young orchard, covered very thickly with the eggs of 
the aphis. It was cut as near the center as possible, and one 
.Section was then treated with a standard solution of kerosene 
emulsion, applied with an atomizing bellows with cup attachment, 
while the other section was left as brought from the tree. Hach 
piece was then placed in a separate bottle, containing water 
enough to cover the base of the twig and keep it from drying, 
The bottles were kept in a warm room for several days, but as 
none of the eggs hatched they were moved to the green-house 
where the conditions were more favorable for the development of 
the eggs. On April fourth, eighteen days after the twig was taken 
from the tree, several well-developed specimens of the aphis were 
found on the section not treated with the emulsion, and they con- 
tinued to increase in numbers as long as the twigs were kept in 
the house, whereas none were found on the section treated with 
the emulsion at any time. The result of this experiment seems — 
to indicate that kerosene in dilute form will destroys the eggs if 
brought in direct contact with them. 
