A USEFUL WASH FOR FRUIT TREES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2901, 17 February 1891, Page 4

A USEFUL WASH FOR FRUIT TREES.

G.vrjAi:, .T. \\\ [l.i;i!K"U>. h'eiituera, w riles a< follows mi ;i. subject of interest In :ill i'ruil -growers in tlic Xorlhlsland. f1..! -ays :•--- Till' following may prove useful and interesting to some of your readers. In your issue of the oOtl'i November. IKNX. you ])ublisli(!(l lli<: following article on the destruction of the codlin moth :--' In repaid to I'aris green or London purple tor eodlin motlL tin , Melbourne Leader says : There is no necessity for incurring the expense of I'aris green or London purple. Tt is the arsenic in these snlistiinccs tliitt: jioisons. and juin- ar.senio can be bouirut cheaper and used with as good effect. Eight ounces is sufficient for -100 gallons of AVator, if thoroughly dissolved. This can be accomplished by addingsoine alkali, such as concontrctod lye—-Lib to 400 gallous of water. This makes a colourless .solution, and as such iiiiist be micd with caro. It cuii bu sprnyud over the trees with a spniying miichiiie. On trial 1 found it far 100 strong, scorching the leaves, and causing , the fruit to fall, lu 1868 [ used it again at the rain of 1000 galtons of water, and still t'ound it too strong. This season I have used it in the proportion of I,'JOO gallons of water, and am much pleased and s itisfied at results, leaving only three or four per cent, of my apples infected. My receipt is: .Dissolve lib of arsenic in :i like quantity ot caustic potash liquified, using a little colouring matter, and labelling it 'Poison ' to prevent accidents. Thoroughly mix with water (1:200 gallons), £>nd spray the trees nil over, about every three weeks in the cool of the evening, from the time the fruit is the size ot small marbles till three-parts grown. Instead of bandages round the bole, of the tuts to catch 1 lie worms, 1 give them a good coat of oil, well mixed with a little Stockholm tar, a.bout is inches high, to prevent tho insects crawling i.p ; the birds and chicks devour tiiciii on tin; ground. Et" in— .iueticides sui-h as this are generally used I have no doubt we will extermina'ic this and other pests. 1 may add l)i!it in winter I syringe my trees witli a, solution of lime and sulphur— proportion oiv , of sulphur to twenty of liiue—mid they arc very elean, ind quite free from fungus."—Herald.