Improvements in or Means for the Treatment of Trees or Plants for Destroying Caterpillars of Liparis Monacha and other Insects Injurious to Plant Life.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 21st Nov., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Means for the Treatment of Trees or Plants for
Destroying Caterpillars of Liparis Monacha and other Insects
Injurious to Plant Life.
I, BENJAMIN WILLCOX of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by the Farbenfabriken vormals Friedrich Bayer & Co.
of Elberfeld in the Empire of Germany) to be as follows :—
The great damage done by the caterpillars of Liparis monacha and other
destructive insects in many forests has caused my foreign correspondents to
experiment with the view of obtaining compounds capable of destroying the said
destructive insects without being injurious to plant life, with this view. it became
necessary to take into consideration the physiological qualities of the reagents
hitherto known, the resistance of the plant life against all the different reagents
and the state in which the reagents might be employed. The use of the compounds
in a pulverised state was excluded as too great quantities of such a powder would
be necessary in order to strew the trees therewith. The employment of reagents in
a gaseous form, likewise, was impossible as the operation has to be carried out in
the open air. It is therefore only possible to use solutions to sprinkle the trees to
be treated. The solutions can only be aqueous solutions considering the
innoxiousness which they must have and the economy which it is necessary to
consider.
My foreign correspondents at first tried to employ vegetable parasites
(mushrooms) against the insects by growing large quantities of the various
mushrooms and mixing the seed or spawn thereof with large quantities of water
and sprinkling therewith the trees to be protected it being expected that the said
spawn or seed would fall upon and destroy the insects and spreading amongst the
trees would further effect the desired result. These attempts however were
without success. My foreign correspondents then made experiments with chemical
compounds employing products known at the time and others expressly manu-
factured for the purpose. During the experiments a number of the insects were
sprinkled with the solution employed whilst they were in a room well aired and
supplied with a sufficient quantity of food. In observing the effect of the different
solutions they rejected those as useless where the insects still ate after twelve
hours or when after a further period of twelve hours only one half of the cater-
pillars had been destroyed. Where in these experiments more than fifty per cent.
of the insects had been killed the compound, the solution of which was employed
was subjected to further trials. Sprinkling was done only at the beginning of the
operation and during the test period fresh food was supplied.
Out of the great number of chemical compounds experimented with my foreign
correspondents found one that answers the desired end but at the same time
they observed that several products used for the said purpose exhibit properties
very remarkable; for example a series of phenol derivatives, xanthogenic potash,
nitro-aniline, nitric acid methyl ether, ethylmer captan, mustard oil produced no
effect. They have further found that the dihydroxydiphenylsulphide diacetic
acid was not able to deprive even one insect of the appetite for food though
the new product of my foreign correspondents caused in experiments with dogs
blocdy-diarrhoea with subsequent death. Even soda lye (specific gravity 1-19)
does not produce the least effect, whilst sulphocyanate of ammonia, nitrate of
soda, hydroxylamine phenylhydrazine and allylalcohol are effective in killing the
insects as my foreign correspondents have discovered. The last two compounds

page_text: when employed in concentrated aqueous solutions cause absolute destruction of
the insects whilst solutions containing one part (by weight) of the said two
compounds in 50 parts of water do not give sufficient effect. These products
however cannot be employed in practice as they are detrimental to plants causing
the ruin of the latter after very few daye.
My foreign correspondents in making further researches discovered that the
product obtained in the year 1881 by A. W. von Hofmann and W.
von Miller
by nitrating the raw cresol of commerce (see Berichte der Deutschen Chem.
Gesellschaft Vol. XIV page 568) and which is a mixture of dinitro orthocresol
and dinitroparacresol potassium as E. Noelting and E. de Salis have proved (see
Annales de Chémie et de Physique Serie VI page 118) yields good results. In
order to decide whether both the isomeric products produce the same effect or
which of them be the effective matter my foreign correspondents have manu-
factured the dinitroortho and dinitroparacresol in a pure state from pure ortho
and para toluidine as Noelting and de Salis have described in the said Annales.
They employed the two substances and found the valuable result that dinitro-
orthocresol is the effective matter whilst the isomeric dinitro para cresol is without
any effect.
The experiments made by my foreign correspondents with the dinitroorthocresol
yielded very striking results. The caterpillars of Liparis monacha when besprinkled
with a solution of one part (by weight) of dinitroorthocresol in 300 parts of water
died after about 12 hours and very seldom even one of the caterpillars treated in
the said manner was living after 12 hours but all eventually were destroyed in any
event. When solutions prepared by dissolving one part (by weight) of dinitro-
ortho cresol in 1000 parts of water were employed 66 per cent. of the caterpillars.
were killed. My correspondents have proved by a great number of experiments
that a solution of one part (by weight) of dinitro orthocresol in 400 parts of water
is sufficient for the purpose of exterminating the insects.
It is further of important value that my foreign correspondents have further
found not only the said caterpillars of Liparis monacha but also spiders, mites,
plant lice and other insects which destroy flowers, bushes, trees and plants and
against which hitherto no operation or material has been found to be effective_can
be destroyed by means of orthodinitro cresol. It is remarkable that this product
thus acts on insects without exhibiting the least noxious and detrimental influence
on plants but that this is the case my foreign. correspondents have proved with
:certainty by careful experiments both with forest and with garden plants. Leaf-
trees and conifers were sprinkled in the open air with a solution prepared by
dissolving one part (by weight) of dinitroorthocresal in 300 parts of water such
large quantities of solution being employed that the trees or plants treated were
dripping" wet whilst a quantity of the solution was poured onto the trunks
of the trees without any detriment or damage being done to the trees or to
the plants.
1
Instead of the potash salt of dinitroortho cresol all the other salts of the latter
which are soluble in water may be employed with good results.
Dated this 19th day of February 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, Agents.
19.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Means for the Treatment of Trees or Plants
for Destroying Caterpillars of Liparis Monacha and other Insects 50
Injurious to Plant Life.
I BENJAMIN WILLCOX of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,.
Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been
communicated to me from abroad by Farbenfabriken vorm. Friedrich Bayer & Co.

page_text: of Elberfeld in the Empire of Germany) and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement —
The great damage done by the caterpillars of Liparis monacha and other
noxious insects in many forests has caused my foreign correspondents to make
experiments with the object of obtaining compounds capable of destroying the said
noxious insects but not injurious to plant life. With this object in view it became
necessary to take into consideration the physiological proporties of the agents
hitherto known, the resistance opposed by plant life to the different agents and the
state in which the agents might be employed. The use of the compounds in a
pulverised state was excluded as the quantity of powder required to strew the
trees therewith would be too great. The employment of agents in a gaseous form,
was also impossible, as the operation has to be carried out in the open air. It is
therefore only possible to make use of solutions and to sprinkle the trees therewith
which it is desired to treat. The solutions can only be aqueous solutions as they
must be otherwise innocuous liquids and regard be paid to economy.
My foreign correspondents at first endeavoured to employ vegetable parasites
(mushrooms) in counteracting the ravages of insects by growing large quantities of
various mushrooms and mixing the seed or spawn thereof with large quantities of
water and sprinkling the trees to be protected therewith, it being expected that
the said spawn or seed would fall upon and destroy the insects and by spreading
amongst the trees, would further effect the desired result. These attempts,
however, were without success. My foreign correspondents then made experiments
with various artificial compounds, employing products known at the time and others
expressly manufactured for the purpose. In these experiments the insects were
sprinkled with the solution employed while in a well aired room and liberally
supplied with food. In observing the effect of the different solutions they rejected
those as useless in cases in which the insects still ate after twelve hours or when
after a further period of twelve hours only one half of the caterpillars had been
destroyed. Where in these experiments more than fifty per cent. of the insects
had been killed the compound of which a solution was employed was subjected to
further trials. The sprinkling was done only at the beginning of the trial and
fresh food was supplied during the test period.
My foreign correspondents found that one of the large number of compounds
experimented with answers the desired end. In the course of the trials they had
the opportunity of observing that several products used for the said purpose
exhibit very remarkable properties, for example a series of phenol derivatives,
potassium xanthate, nitraniline, methyl nitrate, ethylmercaptan, and mustard oil
produced no effect. They have further found that the dihydroxydiphenylsulphide.
diacetic acid was not able to deprive a single insect of its appetite for food though
the new product of my foreign correspondents caused in experiments with dogs
bloody-diarrhoea and subsequent death. Even soda-lye (specific gravity 1-19) does
not produce the least effect, whilst sulphocyanate of ammonia, nitrate of soda,
hydroxylamine, phenylhydrazine and alkylalcohol are effective in killing the
insects, as my foreign correspondents have discovered. The last two compounds,
when employed in concentrated aqueous solutions, cause absolute destruction of the
insects whilst solutions containing one part, (by weight) of the said two compounds
in 50 parts, of water do not give sufficient effect. These products however can not
be employed in practice as they are detrimental to plants causing their ruin after
very few days.
My foreign correspondents in making further researches discovered that the
product obtained in the year 1881 by A. W. von Hofmann. and W. von Miller by
nitrating raw commercial cresol (see Berichte der Deutschen chem. Gesellschaft.
Volume XIV, page 568) and which is a mixture of dinitroorthocresol and
dinitroparacresol potassium as E. Nölting and E. de Salis have proved (see
Annales de Chémie et de Physique, Serie VI, page 118) yields good results. In

page_text: order to decide, whether both the isomeric products produce the same effect or
which of them is the effective one, my foreign correspondents have manufactured
the dinitroortho- and dinitroparacresol in a pure state from pure ortho and
paratoluidine, in accordance with the description given by Nölting and de Salis in
the said Annales. They employed the two substances and found the valuable
result that dinitroorthocresol is the effective matter whilst the isomeric dinitro-
paracresol is without any effect.
The experiments made by my foreign correspondents with dinitroorthocresol
afforded very striking results. When besprinkled with a solution of one part, by
weight, of potassium dinitroorthocresol in 300 parts of water, the caterpillars of
Liparis monacha usually died after about 12 hours; it rarely happened that a single
caterpillar of those treated in the said manner was living after 12 hours, and in
every case all were eventually destroyed. When solutions prepared by dissolving
one part (by weight) of potassium dinitroorthocresol in 1000 parts of water were
employed, 66 per cent. of the caterpillars were killed. My correspondents have
proved by a great number of experiments, that a solution of one part (by weight)
of potassium dinitroorthocresol in 400 parts of water suffices to exterminate the
insects.
Further, it is of importance that my foreign correspondents have found that not
only the said caterpillars of Liparis monacha but also spiders, mites, plant lice and
other insects which destroy flowers, bushes, trees and plants and against which
hitherto no operation or material has been found to be effective can be destroyed by
means of orthodinitrocresol. It is remarkable that this product acts in such a
manner on insects without exercising the least noxious and detrimental effect on
plants, but that such is the case my foreign correspondents have conclusively
proved by careful experiments both with forest and with garden plants. Foliage
plants, trees and conifers in the open air were sprinkled with a solution prepared
by dissolving one part (by weight) of potassium dinitroorthocresol in 300 parts of
water, such quantities of solution being employed that the trees or plants treated
therewith were dripping wet while at the same time a quantity of the solution was
poured on to the trunks of the trees without any material detriment or damage being
done to the trees or plants.
All the other salts of dinitroorthocresol which are soluble in water may be
employed with good results instead of the potash salt.
Very many destructive mushrooms and fungi can also be destroyed by means of
salts of dinitroorthocresol, for instance, those which are parasitic on plants for
example those of the species "Peronospora" and also those of the species
Hymenomycetes" viz. Merulius Polyporus vaporarius, l'olyporus destructus, Leusites
sepiarae, Trametes cryptarum and other fungi or mushrooms which do damage in
various ways.
66
My foreign correspondents have found, that the mushrooms or fungi, which
especially destroy wood under ground or in wet places and cause the rotting of
wood and materials made therefrom, are killed by solutions of salts of dinitro-
orthocresol even much more dilute than those which must be employed for
destroying the above mentioned caterpillars of Liparis monacha. Hence it follows
that the salts of dinitroorthocresol are eminently adapted for the impregnation of
wood or materials made therefrom which it is desired to preserve from rotting.
The salts of dinitroorthocresol, therefore, can be employed with good results in
impregnating all kinds of timber, railway sleepers, wood for building or for use in
mine-works or other places. The destructive action of the salts of dinitro-
orthocresol can be materially increased by an addition of soap of any kind to the
solutions thereof. My foreign correspondents have for instance found that solutions
prepared by dissolving one part, by weight, of potassium dinitroorthocresol and a
quarter of one part, by weight, of soft soap in from about 400 to 600 parts, by weight,
of water rapidly destroy the species "Aphis," though the latter has hitherto
withstood all chemical agents employed to destroy it. Also Phylloxera devastatrix,

page_text: spiders, mites, plant-lice and the insects belonging to the species" Thrips" and others.
are very rapidly killed by solutions of salts of dinitroorthocresol, more particularly
after adding thereto soft or other soap.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said.
invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is :-
of
1. The use of solutions of salts of dinitroorthocresol with or without the addition
soap in destroying caterpillars, insects, mushrooms, fungi or the like.
2. The employment of salts of dinitroorthocresol for impregnating with solutions.
thereof wood or woody materials or the like.
3. The addition of soap to salts of dinitroorthocresol or solutions thereof, in.
order to increase their destructive action on caterpillars, insects, mushrooms, fungi
or the like.
B. WILLCOX.