The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-10-12
Victory Over the Scale.
from The Riverside Press.

| O'OA OAAC OOhAOe
Iron, the RiUerside Press.
DIR. Chaplin reports series OF care.
full experiments instituted by Hor-
ticultural Committee upon Scale.in-
tested trees. All the applications
which have been recommended by
various authorities were tested in a
series OF thirty or forty experiments.
Concentrated lye was used as wash
in proportion varying from one gal
Ion OF lye to five gallons of water, to a
mixture OF lye and waterin equal parts.
The latter temporarily burned the
foliage and new wood, but the trees
atterward made good growth. The
former solution proved too weak.
High grade kerosene, applied with a
spray atomizer, produced the best
effects. Gasoline was not effective
Whale Oil soap and sulphur, one
pound, added TO a gallon OF water is
very useful, soft soap one pound, sui
phur one pound, tobacco one pound,
water three gallons. Apply with
spray. These two mixtures are ex-
cellent for summer use. 1.-THE to.
bacco is omitted from the last named
preparation it proves Intellectual. Car
bolic acid, three ounces, added to
two gallons of water, failed entirely.
Whale oil one pint, kerosene one
pint, borax one ounce, water one gal
lon, when tested proved an injurious
wash. The reported results of the
use OF crude petroleum are varied.
In some orchards great harm has
been done by its application; in others
the effects are good. On the
whole crude petroleum can not
be recommended. Kerosene has
never hurt the trees, but has destroy
ed the scale. The best time to use
it is when the tree ia dormant, and
it must be applied to dry surface
in fine spray. 1t the sap OF the tree
is in active circulation when petrole>
um is used, injury is liable to occur.
Summing up the results OF these
varied experiments it appears that
concentrated lye, when rightly used
is the safest and most effectual appli-
cation, and also tertiizes the orchard
in no slight degree, the potash it
contains being peculiarly valuable
for trees. The report of the Santa
Clara horticulturist states that:
Sixty pounds of the concentrated
I've of the American Lye Company,
is equivalent to 100 pounds of COM
mercial potash. All orchards, even
though showing no scale, should be
washed with concentrated lye OF the
strength of one pound to three gal
Ions OF water, as this strength will
keep trees healthy and free from
moss and filth. Where infested with
scale insects the strength of one
pound Of I've to one gallon of water
Tor not less than one pound to one.
and>a>half water)should be used.
This strength will destroy all scale,
and also completely destroy eggs and
larvae ofthe red spider; as found from
experiments made, any less strength
will not destroy the eggs of this mite.
LYe should be applied in spray by
the use OF garden syringe, or when
large orchards are treated, the most
economical means is to use large
barrel or tank placed upon wagon
or sled and drawn through the orr
chard, and the solution thrown upon
the tree with force pump, through
thirty OF forty feet of hose, to which
is attached nozzel, having tor it's
opening simple straight slit, very
narrow i'll width and one.sixteenth
to one>eight OF an inch long. Great
care should be observed to cover all
portions o. the tree, as upon its
thorough application depends it's sue
cess. Care should also be taken to
protect the body from it's effects, as
~ burns the skin. The I've is best
broked up and dissolved in a small !
Quantity Of boiling water and then
the required strength obtained by ad-