Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-06-18
Agricultural.
Ew,I.,op Of Eerosene for insects.

Emulsion OF - er0aeme TOY AnsecHs
After all, the worst Of the striped melon
beetle is that it lays It's eggs upon the stems
Of melons, squashes, oucumbera, etc, and
the grub which matches out eats into the
stems and our plants all at once die. Moth
ing better than pouring a small quantity OF
the kerosene emulsion about the stems OF the
plants to keep the beetles away, has been de-
vised. Rural Neio Yorker.
The kerosene emulsion to be used about the
stems is probably that prepared by one of the
following methods, or something similar
Kerosene, ! gallon; common soap, pound
water, ! gallon. Heat the mixture OF soap
and water and add it boiling hot to the kero-
sene. Churn the mixture by means Of force
pump and spray nozzle for for 10 or 10 min
utes. The emulsion, II perfect, forms
cream. which thickens on cooling, and ad-
heres without oiliness to the surface of glass.
Dilute with cold water before using, which
experience will indicate is best.
@. V. Riley, entomologst of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, gives substantially the
above directions for making kerosene emul-
sion, and another method as follows. He
says;
Petroleum has long been recognized as
one of the most effective insecticides in our
possession, all oily substances being particu-
larly deadly to insects Unfortunately, they
are also injurious to plants, and one of the
problems, the solution of which | have had
in mind for many years, has been their use
in such dilution as to kill the insect without
injury to the plant. Refined kerosene has
been used to a limited degree by forcible at
tenuation with water in spray, while some
plants withstand doses OF the pure oil. But
the safe and general use of kerosene for this
,loN ha Of the
various substances used in attempts to emul-
sify and mix kerosene with water, none are
more satisfactory than soap and milk both
being everywhere accessible and cheap. Milk
was first suggested in 1880 by DIR. w. S. Bar
nard, while carrying on experiments against
the cotton worm, and subsequent experiments
by another assistant of Prof Riley have given
a simple and most satisfactory method of
making the emulsion quickly and permanent
ly. An emulsion resembling butter can be
produced in few minutes by churning with
force pump two parts of kerosene and one
part of sour milk in pail Is this one of
the new kinds of butter which is served on
the tables of city people y This emulsion
may be diluted with u or more parts of wa
ter to one part of emulsion, thoroughly mix
ed, and may be applied with a force pump, a
spray nozzle, or with strong garden syringe.
The strength of the dilution must vary accord
ing to the nature of the insect to be dealt
with and the nature of the plant; but finely
sprayed in ~ parts of water to one of the
emulsion, it will kill most insects without in
jury to the plant"
Prof. Riley regards the discovery of so sim
pie and available a means of mixing dd liJt-
tim oil with water as important and far-reach-
ing in its practical application. The mixture
has proved great benefit as general insect
icide, and numerous instances of its success
full use are recorded in the late reports of the
Department of Agriculture.