446 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Dec., 1897. 
a little smaller than hen-lice, and on the scale being opened they nimbly scatter in 
all directions, and, when they find a suitable place, settle down, and in the course 
of fourteen days or so develop into a very diesen aera scale of a light-brown 
colour. The underside of the leaves, along the centre rib, is a favourite resort with 
them. but they are in no wise part cular; the scale itself, however, seldom settles on 
the fruit Others on being opened, will shed thousands of little pink eggs, like fine 
sand, which are only awaiting the proper period to elapse to have legs to transport 
themselves over the tree. 
I have never been able to distinguish any male, or to ascertain how they get 
‘from one tree to another, as they have no wings at any stage of their existence, and 
I do not think they travel over the land. I can only account for it through birds 
flying from one tree to another and carrying them on their legs or feathers. As we 
have entomologists and experts from the different colonies at this Conference, I hope 
to get some information on this point. 
So far as my observation goes, | do not think the Soft Brown Elongated Scale or the 
Olive or Black Scale will thrive to as great an extent in a warm climate as they willin 
a more temperate one, as I have scen very little in the northern parts of Victoria. 
There are native enemies in my district for three of these scales. The red and 
brown are both bored through the centre by a small fly, and the inside is extracted and 
only the hollow shell remains. The ladybird also destroys them in the young stage. 
The mother-scale of the olive, when full of eggs, is entered by a minute, dirty, 
grey, hairy maggot, which clears all the eggs out of the shell. Ihave found a great 
number this season treated in this manner. The ladybird also has its share of the 
young when in the tender stage. 
A proper scientific description of the scale insects I have mentioned can be seen 
in Mr. C. French’s ‘‘ Handbook on the Destructive Insect Pests of Victoria”; also, 
in a book on Seale Insects by Mr. Maskell, of New Zealand. 
Mernop DiscovereD AnD ADOPTED BY THE WRITER FOR THE GENERAL 
Destruction or Scare Insects By SPRAYING. 
The insecticide used is pure kerosene of 150 test, mixed with cold water by a new 
process and sprayed on to the trees affected. It is simply kerosene and cold water 
carried in separate vehicles and amalgamated in the pump under pressure. ‘This new 
process does away with the time and trouble of making kerosene emulsion, and has 
the advan‘age of pre-erving the full insect-destroying power of the kerosene until it 
reaches its destination through the spray nozzle, which power it loses, to a considerable 
extent, through evaporation in making emulsion. 
The proportions I use in summer for Olive Scale are 1 of kerosene to 20 of water, 
which can be sprayed on to lemon or to orange trees with perfect safety, and has the 
effect of cleaning the trees of all black fungus, and if the tree is properly sprayed, not 
one scale in ten thousand escapes with life. ' 
For Red Scale, I use it stronger. ‘the Brown Scale is easily killed with 1 in 20. 
Some years ago, before I had perfected this process, my trees and fruit were 
quite black, the trees very sickly-looking, and the fruit unsal able without washing 
everyone. Now they are, I will not say, perfectly clean, but so clean that it is not 
noticeable unless by a very close observer. My trees have had only five sprayings in 
two years, and the last two sprayings have averaged little less than a case of kerose.e 
to the acre over twenty-six acres. 
I also grow apples, pears, plums, and cherries. ‘Those I sprayed in winter, when 
the leaves had fallen. he red spider eggs, and woolly aphis, and the scale (the olive) 
were completely done for. The deciduous trees in winter can stand 1 in 10, and I 
believe a much stronger mixture. The pears and cherries I sprayed in summer for 
the pear slug (with which we are badly infested), with 1 of kerosene to 45 of water, 
which killed every slug and with no harm to the trees or fruit whatever. 
There is one of the pumps with kerosene attachment s:nt here for exhibition 
which members of this Conference can see tested, which will give a far better idea of 
its working than any explanation I can possibly give. 
I may add that impure kerosene is dangerous to trees of any sort, because of its 
burning character. 
‘ 
Manovrine. 
I use blood manure, superphosphate, bones, and a small portion of kainit 
alternately, also sulphate of iron if a tree should look sickly. I also use stable 
manure when I can get it cheap enough, as it tends to keep the ground loose about the 
trees ; peas sown in autumn and ploughed in early in spring, I find very beneficial, 
as they add nitrogen to the soil and keepit open. Around lemon-trees, the soil should 
never be allowed to set. I do not mulch outside the drip of the trees, as it tends 
