AMERICAN BLIGHT OR WOOLLY APHIS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 100, 10 April 1911, Page 11

AMERICAN BLIGHT OR WOOLLY APHIS.

How to Destroy the Pest.—Until some measure of compulsion is authoritatively enforced to deal with this pest it is hopeless to look for its erardication. For instance, A, by determined labour and expense, may succeed in clearing his trees of its presence; but of what avail is this if his neighbour B's orchard is infested? No use whatever, as it is well known that dirty trees, even at considerable distances away from clean ones, soon communicate tlie blight to those which are clean. One of the best cures is that known as Caustic Alkali Wash.—This is a nonfungicidal winter wash which is very effective in destroying blight where it comes in contact with it. It also destroys moss or lichen growths on tire trees. It is a good plan to spray tlie trees with this as soon after tire leaves have fallen as is convenient, and again in March, in the meantime burning all the leaves and primings which fall from the trees. This wash is of a burning nature; therefore, when using it, the hands and clothes should be protected. It is made as follows: Caustic soda (98 per cent, 211 b; water, 10 gallons, adding jib treacle. Another wash, called the Woburn Winter Wash, is said to be more effective even than the alreve. This is made as follows: Soft soap, jib; paraffin, 5 pints; caustic soda, 21b; water, 9J gallons. Dissolve the soap in warm water,

churn the paraffin into the soap and water, and then shake in the caustic soda. It should' be applied in the same way as the other. But the most effective winter wash of all for ridding fruit trees of lichen growth and insect pests is, I ‘believe, the following: Arsenate of soda (crystalline), 3|oz; acetate of lead, 7oz; water 10 gallons. Dissolve both together in water, and then add 11b of treacle. There preparations were recommended by the conference on the spraying of fruit trees held under the auspices of the Royal Horticultural Society in the autumn of 1908. As I mentioned before, any of these washes will kill the blight on contact ; but whoever concludes from this that he has seen the Last of the enemy will not have long to wait before he is disillusioned, because as sure as the spring and early summer comes round, so sure is this pest to reappear, also from the crevices of the bark or other shelter in which it has been concealed during winter. The only way to get rid of it is by following up the winter treat-

ment with a spring application of soft soap and paraffin, made as follows: To a gallon of water, add 4oz. of soft soap and one pint of paraffin; rub this well into the cottony white stuff with a small brush (made of bristles) wherever and whenever found on the trees. I say rub well because, if laid gently on, it will discolour the filament only and leave the insect unaffected; therefore, rub hard, so as to crush and destroy it, taking care, of course, not- to hurt the bark or th 6 foliage of the trees. It is possible by persevering in this winter and summer treatment for a couple of years, combined with clearing away a

couple of inches in depth of the surface soil from round the tree as far * as the roots extend, to exterminats the pest. But if your neighbour’strees are effected it is of little use.