Page:A Practical Treatise on Olive Culture, Oil Making and Olive Pickling.djvu/40

 of which is covered by the dust spread over it by the wind.

Riondet tells us that during the winter, when the young insects are still under the calapash of the mother already dead, under which they remain yet protected from the cold weather, a large number of them can be crushed by rubbing the branches with a hard brush dipped into vinegar.

Lardier recommends to rub with lime water; Reynaud says to sprinkle the tree with that same preparation, and Du Breuil affirms that such an energetic rubbing and spraying will cause the disappearance of both the insects and their black trails.

In California where the black scale has pretty generally appeared and caused great havoc among the orange trees of the southern part of the State, the trees when young should be sprinkled with a whisk broom dipped in a bucket containing a mixture in equal parts of sulphur and whale oil dissolved in hot water; and if any olive grower is ready to act the moment those insects begin to appear here and there on any of his trees, he will easily prevent their spreading to others.

Other preparations in which enter kerosene, or infusions of tobacco, absinth leaves, etc, are also recommended, but while I fully appreciate their merit, the one just given brings about very satisfactory results; it can be prepared very easily and will not cost over ten cents a gallon, which