The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-07-22
To Destroy Root Lice.

ACCORDING TO the most recent lnVeStl-
cation of Southern entomologists and
the experience of practical fruit grow
ers the time is at hand when every fruit
grower of South Carolina should treat
his trees that are infested with the
woolly aphis or apple root louise. These
are bluish~white, mouldly. looking, soft
bodied lice that cause knots or swellings
on the roots of fruit trees. There oc-
cur two forms, viz. the root-nfesting
form and the aerial form, the latter oc-
the ground.
When an orchard tree becomes un-
thrifty from some invisible cause it is
well to expose the roots to determine
the presence or absence of this root
louise. Wherever the louise is present
in conspicuous numbers the swellings
will soon be noticed.
The insect is very serious fruit pest
in many localities. In order to enable
the owners of fruit trees to successfully
combat it the following recommenda-
tions are given. The ingredients used
may be obtained in any local market,
while the application is so simple that
any intelligent fruit grower can apply
it. The following treatment N I'D be
made before the middle of j. rcept
in suck orchards where the tees are
still actively growing owing to thor
ough cultivation or other favorable con-
ditons.
KEROSENE EMULSION.
Kerosene gallons
-:-Whale oil soap. p............ .1-2 pound
ANY good potash soap can be used.
DIRECTIONS FOR PREPARING.
Dissolve the soap in one gallon of hot
water over fire. Remove this mix
ture away from the fire $50 that there
is no danger of setting fire to the kero-
sene) and add the two gallons of kero-
sene, after which this solution is vio-
lently agitated until it forms a smooth,
creamy emulsion that will not separate
when left standing. The stirring should
continue from eight to ten minutes. A
little force pump with hose and Bor-
dcauX nozzle set for straight discharge
is most excellent for agitating this mix
ture by pumping the solution violently
back into itself. When thoroughly
emulsified it is called stock solution
and may be kept for long time. 1t
can be diluted to any desired per cent
of strength. For woolly aphis Is per
cent. strength is recommended.
For convenience the following form
ula is given in order to eliminate the
danger of making too strong emulsions
owing to misunderstanding in our
methods of calculating percentages:
For 10 per cent. emulsion dilute stock
solution with II gallons of water.
For Is per cent. emulsion dilute stock
solution with 10 13 gallons of water.
For 20 per cent. emulsion dilute stock
solution with gallons of water.
To make the woolly aphis emulsion,
therefore, dilute the stock solution
above described by adding 1O1- gallons
of water.
HOW TO APPLY THE EMULSION.
The soil is removed so that the in
Tested roots are partially exposed. This
neccssitates the removal of soil to
depth of two and half to three inches.
The soil should be normally dry and not
full of water To saturate the soil to
depth Of three or four inches over
circular area sc inches in diameter,
having the young tree for the centre,
requires about two and half to three
gallons of emulsion. In case of a large
tree where the infested roots extend
over circular area five feet in dame
ter, five to six gallons are required.
The removed soil should be replaced
Immediately after the emulsion has
been applied. Kerosene emulsion Is
per cent. strength applied at this rate
to apple trees four to ten years of age
will cost about cents per tree. Where
the infestation is light 10 per cent.
strength, which is cheaper, is satisfac-
tory. 1t should be applied once this
year and repeated next year, and if
carefully done the lice will then be prac-
tically destroyed.