El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-27
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ANOTHER INSECTICIDE.

New Jersey Station Experiments
With Crude Petroleum.
Crude petroleum is not a recognized
znsecticide and has not had place
heretofore in the list of materials rec
commended for the destruction of in
furious insects. The New Jersey sta
TONS experiments recorded in bulletin
lbs therefore possess an element of
novelty, and their apparently doubtful
nature adds interest to the outcome
which is thus summarized:
Since January, 1898, nearly 1900
trees of the ordinary orchard fruits
other than cherry have been treated
with crude petroleum, either undiluted
or mixed with from 60 to 10 per cent of
water. The trees yaried from stock
just out of the nursery row to old trees
In full bearing.
Not single case of injury to any
tree treated in winter has been observ-
ed. On the contrary, in a number Of
cases the oil seems to have acted as a
stimulant, and the sprayed trees have
shown greater v1gOr and better foliage
than those untreated.
y
to fruit buds, but on this point the OBJ
servations are incomplete, no early
winter treatments having been made
In bearing orchards. Applications
made after Jan. 10 have in no way less
ened the crop of apples and pears the
year following, and applications made
in March have not injured the fruit
buds in peach and plum.
summer application, either pure or di-
luted, because of it's choking effect on
foliage and its persistence.
This, however, increases its value
for winter work as compared with
kerosene. The latter acts at once or
not at all and evaporates very soon
after it has been applied. In fact, to
avoid injury, it must be applied in
such a way as to favor rapid evapora-
ton. Crude oil does not evaporate
readily. 1t is penetrating, and, If APP
piled with a brush half way round
branch, will often soak round the
branch completely. 1t remains as an
oily or greasy surface coating for
many weeks, and no scales can set on
this coating within a month of the
application and live. 1t does not or
dinarily penetrate through even the
surface layer of bark. Under the most
unfavorable circumstances, if the out
er layer is penetrated, the inner layer
remains healthy, and there is no pro-
gressive injury. 1t does not seem to
interfere with bark functions, and
young trees painted with the oil in
creased in size quite as rapidly and
freely as those untreated.
Crude petroleum will kill the PERM
cious scale in winter whenever it
comes into sufficient contact with the
insect. 1t is a contact insecticide and
will not injure what 1t does not touch.
but, literally applied, it will soak
through masses of scale, no matter
how densely set, as nothing else will.
A minor advantage is the fact that
1t gives a greasy, brown color to the
bark, making it easy to see exactly
how thorough the application has
been.
1t seems a fair conclusion that the
crude petroleum tried is an important
for winter application on
orchard trees.
1t is fully as effective against scale
insects as kerosene and is harmless
to the most tender varieties and ON the
youngest trees. Therefore it is pecul-
iarly adapted for employment against
the San Jose or perniciOus scale.
AS the oil remains on the surface fol |
, long time, it makes no difference |
it is put on undiluted OF |
mixed with water. If mixed with wa |
ter, the latter evaporates and leaves |
the oil, so that the material in contact |
with the tree is as much undiluted as |
T the water had not been applied
with it.
If it is put on undiluted, fine nozzle
Ihould be used not only because better
can be secured in that
way, but because of the saving Of ma
erial. 1t will be just as we'll, how
.ver, to use an emulsion sprayer and
nix with from 60 to rs per cent of wa
er. 1t will then be possible to use
lozzle of larger capacity or, better, a
'rOup Of fine MOBILES, and the material
an be applied until everything is drip
,fng. A gallon of emulsion Containing
Is per cent oil will give a better coat
ng than one quart Of oil undiluted.
On trunks and branches a summer
pplication is as safe as one made in
winter, and small trees or larger ones
Iot generally infested can be summer
reated if application to the foliage is
.voided.
Late Fall Planting.
We think there is no better time to
ct apple or pear trees, grapevines and
he bush fruits than in the fall if the
york is properly done. We would crt
ack the tops considerably, that they
nay not dry out, and set them in good
oil, but using no manure around them
nd making the earth a little higher
oar tho rlopfc tban aUav from fhorn |