ARMSTRONG'S PYRALICIDE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10429, 29 April 1897, Page 3

ARMSTRONG'S PYRALICIDE.

A " Subscriber" at Gisborne writes on April 20 as follows:—Sir,—Allow me a few lines in your valuable paper upon Mr. Armstrong's pyralicide. I saw through your paper of its pood effects in his orchard, and that it was very highly spoken of and recommended by Government officials. I wonder if ho put it to any teat ab all as to its killing powers, and if he did, I think the fruitgrowers should make some enquiry and see how it is that they did not get the right article, Nearly all fruitgrowers seem to have been taken in by the stuff put on the market as Armstrong's pyrslicide. It has given the fruitgrowers a lot of work and loss of time and money, u well as giving the codlin moth a chance to get a better hold. No doubt a great many people would have used more effectual means for keeping the moth down if they had not been depending on the pyralicide. My experience with the pyralicide is as follows:—I bought a four-gallon tin, and was going to use it according to directions. I shook the tin well to mix it, and then poured out two gallons into an iron bucket, and while I was away getting a brash to put it on with, a pet calf came and drank the whole contents of the two gallons of Armstrong's pyralicide. When I saw it, I thought the calf must soon die, so I took him to the edge of the creek, where I tethered him. I waited for the results, but as the stuff did not seem to affect the calf, I left it tethered until next day, looking at it occasionally, thinking that I could roll it into the creek when it died; but on going down to see i& next day it was as lively as ever, and I let it go. I bad painted twenty-five of my apple trees with the pyralicide, and I came to the conclusion that it was no good when it did not kill tbe calf, and I kept about half a gallon of the stuff, determined to try the effects of ib upon the codlin moth, I got as many as twelve of the codlin grubs out of tbe apples, and put them in the pyralicide, and after stirring round briskly the mixture with the grubs in for one minute, and taking them out, and putting them into a bottle for about three days, they are now to be seen in a well-made cocoon for the winter. It is just about six months since the calf drank tht two gallons of the stuff, and now he is fat and free from codlin moth. This is a correct statement of the pyralicide. I have not sworn it before a J.P., but I have often sworn at the pet calf for coming round at nighb to the buckets, and looking none th* wore* for Armstrong's swill.