The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1904-04-29
ALATKA, FLORIDA, FRIDAY, APRIL %, 1904
FLORAHOME NEWS.
Items From Two Correspond
GntS.

Miss Faye Leonard and Mrs. VIM.
Harrison spent Wednesday at Gran
din, the guests of Mr.. and Mrs
Johnston
1t has been discovered this spring
that the San Jose scale is injecting
our orchard lands and already II
good many peach trees have b zen
cut down on this account This
waste is unnecessary. This dreaded
pest may be conquered without the
sacrifice of the orchard. There are
several different insecticides in use,
known to kill San Jose scale.
Mr.. Frank Dexter of Los GatOs,
Cal, u man of long experience in
fighting the scale gives simple
spray by use of which he at last
got entirely rid of it. 1t is a solution
of caustic soda, Id Us per cent? to
six gallons of water. The soda can
be obtained from wholesale drug
gists in the cities or probably from
soap factories. 1t comes in cans
holding from 100 to 200 lbs and costs
from 6 to IA cts. per III, according to
the amount bought. 1t should be
carefully handled and put on while
jure any dormant fruit tree.
The tree should first be closely
pruned until it looks thin in order to
allow the spray to enter. These cut
tings should be burned at once. Now
scrape off any rough bark which
chances to be on the tree and draw
the dirt away from the trunk down
rs far as the roots, and brush the
trunk. Apply the spray between
the time the leaves fall and Feb. lst.
Spray when there is little or no
wind. The work should be done so
thoroughly that dry spot cannot be
found on the tree yet without put
ting on sufficient spray to form in
drops under the limbs. The spray
will kill the louise in any stage of
growth within an hour wherever it
touches. Repeat after each rain or
after each two weeks with no rain.
ANY good spray pump will do.
The insecticide most generally
known and used is the California
wash of 30 lbs each of lime, sulphur
and salt to each l00gallons fmiXture
This envolves a great deal of eX-
pense and labor and the details of
it's preparation and use are too COM
plicated to be dealt with in news
article. According to the Farm
journal however cauStic soda may
be substituted for salt in the above
mixture which chorates the necessi-
ty of boiling. The resin wash reco-
mended by the department of agri-
culture is said by Mr.. Dexter to have
little value except for the cauStic
soda it contains.
Now it behOOves the FlorahOme
people to put a check to the devasta-
tions of this pernicious insect as
soon as possible. 1t is too late for
spraying this season Tut those who
have trees affected with any sort of
scale or blight should stop cutting
them down and proceed to post
themselves on spraying, and on
spray pumps. The matter should be
Investigated now by all
fruit growers in the community and
the work of destroying the pest zeal
Ously persued next fall by all who
have infected trees. The caustic
soda will also kill pear blight.
This pest was doubtless brought
into the neighorh ood by cheap trees
bought from Indifferent nurserymen
who do not fumigate their stock. AS
is better than cure no
trees should be bought of nursery
men who do not fumigate their trees
before they leave the nursery. Bet
ter pay more and get good clean
trees. Il. n. b.