REPORT OF STATE HORTICULTURIST. 5I 



tent caterpillars, red-humped, tiger moths, case bearers, leaf 

 rollers and fall web-worms were found, but not in sufficient 

 numbers to do a great amount of damage. 



Scale Insects. On February 28th, San Jose scale was found 

 on some four-year-old trees in Wells. This infestation was 

 introduced through nursery stock. Two trees were condemned 

 and burned and the remainder are being watched to see if 

 there is any further spread of the pest. 



On February 29th, some plum trees at Crowley's Junction 

 were found to be slightly infested. They were sprayed late 

 with dormant strength (1-8) lime-sulphur and the scale is 

 apparently exterminated ; a watch will also be kept upon these 

 trees. 



Those, as far as we know, are all the new infestations, 

 though undoubtedly there are a few more. The appearance on 

 nursery stock is not common as the various state nursery in- 

 spection laws are fairly rigid and the nurseries carefully 

 watched. If any scale is present in the orchard, it should be 

 sent to the Department or to the Experiment Station for identi- 

 fication at the earliest opportunity. 



Great quantities of European fruit scale have been found 

 this year, especially in Oxford, Androscoggin, Cumberland and 

 York Counties. It resembles San Jose in appearance, but is 

 not as destructive, having but one brood a year. It had im- 

 paired the vigor of the trees in Mere Point very seriously and 

 in other places has done more or less harm. The lime-sulphur 

 (1-8) removed the greater part this spring and will undoubt- 

 edly control this scale in another season. This spraying is ren- 

 dered much more effective if the trees are scraped beforehand, 

 thus exposing the insects to the ready access of the material. It 

 is very difficult to reach them through heavy, loose bark. 



The oyster-shell bark-louse continues on unsprayed trees to 

 some extent, but seldom enough to cause death. A vigorous 

 tree is seldom badly infested, though young trees may be. We 

 have obtained twigs from neglected orchards that are completely 

 covered with the scale and are in a dying condition because of 

 them. This has not been the case in an orchard that is well 

 taken care of. 



