116 Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y. 



'New York pear growers have deaionstrated the practicability of 

 fighting the adult insect. In 1894, the presence of the pest in 

 destructive numbers was not suspected in one Niagara county 

 orchard until the leaves began to drop off in July. The kerosene 

 emulsion spray was at once directed against the enemy with the 

 result that it at once brought down millions of the adults, their 

 dead bodies being thickly strewn about the spraying apparatus. 

 Although the insect had gotten such a start in the orchard, it was 

 so effectively checked with the emulsion that but few psyllas were 

 found in 1895. Mr. Geo. T. Powell, who has had more practical 

 experience with this insect than anj^ other fruit grower in the State, 

 also sends us the following brief, yet graphic, account of his fight 

 -with the insect in 1894 : 



*'May 10th. Eggs began to hatch and we sprayed with kerosene 

 emulsion, diluted 1 to 20. 



May 15th. The nymphs began to get out in full force, when we 

 began spraying with great thoroughness. When the wind blows 

 hard, the spraying is not done so effectively, especially in the tops 

 of quite tall trees. 



May 16th. Sprayed a secoua orchard. The day is clear and 

 still. The work is very much more effective, killing the young 

 psyllas quickly and in all parts of the tree. 



May 17th. Sj^rayed the first orchard again. Many insects alive, 

 the emulsion not having hit them thoroughly on account of high 

 winds. Unless the insect is destroyed the fruit will be worthless. 



June 5th. After several rainy days, sprayed pear trees again and 

 for the last time as the psylla seems to be pretty well knocked out 

 by this time ; only a few nymphs are feeding, but quite a number 

 of adults about the tree. 



June 11th. Finding a few^ nymphs still coming out and work- 

 ing, we sprayed again and at the same time bringing down millions 

 of the adults that escaped former sprayings. The day is very still 

 and warm. The greatest possible force is given the spray, which 

 goes over the tops of the highest trees. The stones on the ground 

 and the platform of the machine are covered with dead adults. 

 A sheet is placed under a small tree, and after spraying but ten 

 seconds, 150 adults fell upon the sheet and in five minutes yO per 

 cent of them were dead. 



^ After discovering the extent to which the adults were being 

 destroyed, the entire orchards were gone over, extra force being 

 given to the spray to bring down as many adults as possible, 

 thereby lessening largely the number to multiply next year. 



AVe used a hand-pump on the Phillip's sprayer and stopped at 

 each tree, spraying very thoroughly before leaving it. There is no 

 power machine that will do this work thoroughly enough as yet ; 



