LOCAL ORCHARD PESTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3980, 13 July 1915, Page 2

LOCAL ORCHARD PESTS.

THE SPRAYING CALENDAR. MR, LLOYD WILLIAMS’ ADDRESS Following is tho conclusion of Mr. W. R. Lloyd Williams’ valuable paper on the- control, of orchard pests, read on Saturday afternoon at Town ley’s Hall:— NOTE 3 ON DISEASES. Before mentioning tho spraying compounds it may be easier for you to understand if 1 give a little idea of what effect these sprays have on the pests and diseases they are intended to control. For practical purposes we divide our principal diseases into three classes: (1) Eating Insects such as codlin moth and leech which live by actually eating that part of the plant which they attack. The method of control therefore is to poison their food supply. This is done in tho case of tho codiin moth, by covering the fruit with arsenate ..of lead so that when the young grub starts to eat its way in it eats a little of this weak poison and thereby commits suicide. ’l’lie second group arc the Slicking insects including the scales such as mussel scale and mealy hug, the aphis such as woolly aphis a'nd black aphis and the red mite, etc. These cannot he poisoned, for they insert their beaks right through the outer skin of the plant and suck up the sap in much the same way as lice do on live stock: \Yc therefore kill these by corrosion or suffocation with the oils, LimeSulfur, etc. The third class includes the Fungus Diseases such as peach leaf curl, pear scab, etc. which artcaused by minute microscopical parasitic plants working for the most part inside the tissues of the plant attacked and protruding through the surface to form their seed, or snores as they are termed 1 . These minute spores when mature are easily detachable and are spread in millions b" the wind and other agencies. A.s the greater number of the diseases are internal we cannot directly destroy them. What is done therefore is mostly in the direction of destroying the spores, or germs, which, as we .have seen, are external, and so prevent their spread. A coating of spray such as Bordeaux Mixture or Lime-Sulfur on a tree will destroy those which come in contact with either of them; both the spores already on the tree and those which may be brought there by the wind, etc. With fungus diseases, therefore, it is largely prevention rather than cure.

I will now proceed to give a few hints on the preparation and application of the specifics I have recommended. ARSENATE OF LEAD. A good half-ounce to each gallon of water is equal to a good two ounces to a kerosene tin full of water or 11 II>:? to 48 gallons. This is mostly sold hi the form of a paste which should lie carefully weighed out. To mix, thin it out with a little water so as to make a thin liquid before finally adding the rest of the water. HELLEBORE POWDER. To make, pour a quart of boiling water on to one ounce of Hellebore Powder and allow it to stand for at least twelve hours, then add sufficient cold water to make the whole up to two gallons and stir well. RED OIL EMULSION. 1 have already given the strength at which these should he used for the different trees. Those emulsions may now he purehasi-d in a ready prepared form which only need the addition of the necessary quantity of water to make them ready for use. They arc very handy and save the bother of making and I would recommend their use, as a matter of convenience, in preference to buying the red oil itself, which requires emulsifying with soap. However, if any are desirous of making their own. 1 shall be only too rbady to give them full directions.

' KEROSENE EMULSION. Boil two ounces of common soap in one quart of water until dissolved, using rain water for preference, hard water should he softened by the addition of a little washing soda or Hudson’s Soap Extract. Take off the lire and pour it into two quarts of kerosene, thoroughly churn up hv placing the suction and nozzle ends of the spray pump in the liquid and pumping steadily for a few minutes. The emulsion should then, if perfect, form a cream which thickens on cooling without any free kerosene floating on the surface. Then dilute_ with cold water to the strength required. MCDGUCAL’S INSECTICIDE. This is a thick liquid which mixes directly with water TOBACCO WASH. In a closed vessel boil together three ounces of strong tobacco (or 9oz. waste tobacco) and nine ounces soap in half a gallon of water for half an hour. Strain this into 3} gallons of cold water. LIME-SULFUR. A commercial preparation formed by the combi nation of lime and sulphur which is useful for the control of some insects and fungus diseases. It is a ready made article which only requires the addition of the requisite amount of cold water to make it ready for use. BORDEAUX MIXTURE. • Summer Formula.—Four ounces Milestone, soz fresh Roche lime, three gallons water. Winter Formula.—One lb Milestone, one lb fresh Roche lime, four gallons water.

To Prepare.—Dissolve the Milestone in lmlf the quantity oi water in one vessel. Slake the lime slowly in a second vessel, then add the remainder of the water and strain to remove the coarse particles. Mix this milk of lime with the . Milestone solution, stir briskly and the mixture is ready for use. Vessels of wood, glass or earthenware must be used in the preparation of Bordeaux Mixture. Sometimes those with only a few trees have experienced a difficulty in finding suitable vessels for the purpose. In a small way this can be readily overcome by dissolving the Milestone in a Mason jar, earthenware basin or other earthenware toilet utensil. The lane may he slacked in a kerosene tin and after straining the milk of lime into another kerosene tin, the Milestone solution may bo poured into it and the mixture sprayed from the kerosene tins, thus obviating the purchase of special utensils. It must, however, 1)0 used immediately, or the “tin” will extract the copper from the mixture, thereby weakening it. Bluestone may 'be dissolved by tying in a piece of sacking or scrim and suspending over night just below the surface of the water or by using hot water. Bordeaux Mixture should he used within eight hours of mixing, otherwise its value is largely depreciated. I desire to say that the advice I have given you this afternoon is the result of very careful and systematic observation of local conditions during niy visits to this district in the past four years and I have no hesitation in saying that if it is canned out you need not only never fear the visit of an inspector hut you will have the satisfaction of clean crops. Let me again emphasise my desire to assist all, both large and small needing advice on fruit matters, but remember, I cannot help you as I would wish unless you communicate your troubles to me. Mv address is Lloyd Williams, Orchard Instructor, Gisborne or Auckland.

'ill conclusion, gentlemen, I mako an earnest appeal to all ivlio have fruit trees to do their inmost to subdue the pests and diseases affecting them. If you do, you will be doing your “hit’’ to assist the establishment of an industry with an excellent future before it.'