ORCHARD WINTER WASHES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1745, 16 August 1905, Page 63

ORCHARD WINTER WASHES.

It would be inaccurate to say that a winter washing will do away with all insect and fungus troubles in summer; but it may be said with perfect , truth that attention given then is helpful. There are two distinGct types of wash in general use, one being the soft soap and paraffin emulsion, and the other the caustic soda and pearlash solution. The former should, be brought into- play when the principal enemies are codlin moth and American blight; the latter when moss, lichen, and other parasites infest the bark The writer’s method of preparing the first is a,s follows;—Take a tub large enough to' hold 25 gallons- of ■wafer —and here Ave may say that a paraffin cask sawn in halves makes two capital tubs—boil 31b of soft soap in a half a gallon of water for an hour, stirring repeatedly; pour into it directly it is taken off the fire T£ pints of petroleum, churn the mixture Avitfi a syringe until it becomes milky, and then put it into-the tub. Add 24 gallons of water, chui-n again, or stir, and the wash is ready. It may be put on with an ordinaiy syringe Avhile hot. The other mix- „ ture is prepared in the way generally advised, viz. : —Dissolve lib caustic soda in a little hot water, using a wooden vessel, and pouring the water very gently on the soda. Dissolve also lib of the pearl ash (crude commercial potash of some dealers), mix and dilute with 10 gallons of.water. We once saw a meet striking example of the efficacy of this wash. It had cleaned some blackcurrants as though they had been scraped and polished by hand. To make a limewash for trees, follow the old Kentish plan of mixing 71b of lime and lib of soft soap in 4 gallons of water. Many do not "add size, relying on soft soap ' for securing adherence; but a- little is an advantage. These recipes may be useful to fruitgrowers. We nave tried them all, and found them good.—“Gassets Popular Gardening. 55