THE WINTER SPRAYING OF FRUIT-TREES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 176, 27 July 1907, Page 3

THE WINTER SPRAYING OF FRUIT-TREES.

(Journal of the British Board of

Agriculture.)

Since November, 1905, various experiments have been carried out with insecticides by Mr W. E. Collinge, of the Department of. Economic Zoology, of the University of Birmingham, and amongst these was one undertaken for the purpose of finding a more effective winter spray-iluid for destroying the eggs of the mussel scale, plum aphis, and apple sucker, three well-known insect pests in the Midland counties, which annually cause serious losses to fruit-growers.

In connection with these experiments it was found, in spraying the eggs of the apple sucker wibh soda and potash, that, whilst it sometimes happens that the eggs are not all killed, all the experiments go to prove that if the 3pray-fluid is properly made and applied, and does not contain too much soft soap, comparatively very few of the eggs hatch out. It seemed desirable to institute trials with a view to obtaining a more effective spray-iluid, and experiments were first made with caustic soda and soft soap, but these proved unsatisfactory. A ,number of laboratory experiments were next made with various strengths of caustic soda, mixed with various quantities of paraffin enrulsion. Nearly all of-these pointed t<.the fact that a strong solution of caus-" tic soda and paraffin emulsion was effective, and the percentage of eggs killed rose with the strength of the spray-fluid up to a certain point. Out-of-door experiments were then commenced in March, 1906, with the following spray-fluid : —Caustic soda (98 per cent) 2 Ib, soft soap \ lb, parafin 5 pints, soft water 10 gallons. The soft soap was dissolved in a gallon of boiling water, and whilst still hot the paraffin was added and beaten up into a creamy liquid. The whole of the liquid was then pumped with force through a fine spray nozzle, in the usual manner,, into another vessel.

The caustic soda was dissolved in nine gallons of rain water, and into this solution the paraffin emulsion was then poured, and the two well mixed together.

This spray fluid gave excellent results, and it is proposed to substitute it in future for the caustic alkali wash of caustic soda and carbonate of potash. In all probability this spray-fluid will prove effective in destroying the **ggs of all aphides and the red spider alsOj though it has not yet been tried iipon the latter pest. PLANT TREES DEEPLY. It is a well known fact that trees should be planted, particularly in dry country, a little lower than they were before transplanting. The reason for this is very evident,: and still when the planter is through with most trees we find them with the old earth mark from one to three inches above the ground. At the Beresford Institute a successful tree grower said that he early learned that planting trees on a ridge or back furrow in Dakota meant loss, while planting them in a slightly hollow strip almost invariably meant success. A prominent tree and fruit grower of Minnesota recommends ploughing out a shallow "dead furrow" where trees are to be planted, and making the holes-—large ones— in the bottom of it. This, it is claimed, is the only way to insure the trees being low enough to insure all water running towards instead of away from them.—-Dakota Farmer.