50 AGRICUI^TURE OF MAINE. 



somewhat more expensive than some. Both the dry powder 

 and the paste forms were used and seemed to give about the 

 same results, though the powder form has not been tried suffi- 

 ciently for a fair test as yet. 



Trees that were well pruned were much easier to spray and 

 gave much more satisfactory results. 



In the unsprayed orchards the percentage of wormy fruit w^as 

 not quite as large as for the previous season, but must have been 

 in the vicinity of 40 per cent, varying quite a lot in different 

 sections. 



Railroad Worm. As this insect is not controlled by spraying, 

 it is much harder to check its injury. Only conscientious pick- 

 ing up of the windfalls, deep, early spring plowing, or sufficient 

 sheep or swine to eat all the drops, seem to affect the amount of 

 fruit infested. It has been demonstrated in various sections, 

 however, that these methods aid greatly and that if each grower 

 would do his own share this pest might be entirely controlled. 



Curculio. The work done by this pest does not seem to have 

 been as great as last season. Its occurrence on some varieties 

 is so common as to lead to the impression that it is a marking 

 of that particular fruit. This marking is due to the failure of 

 the egg to hatch, leaving the russet spot as a surface blemish. 



Best results have been obtained where the orchard is culti- 

 vated until about the first of August. 



Spraying aids greatly in the destruction of the adult beetle 

 and the destroying of the fallen fruit removes many eggs and 

 larvae. 



Cultivation aims at the destruction of the pupae wdiich are 

 very sensitive to light and air and which are invariably at a 

 depth of less than two inches. 



Orchard Tent. These caterpillars were first seen April 26th 

 and became very much in evidence later. In fact, the cherry 

 and neglected apple trees were soon defoliated, presenting a very 

 unsightly appearance along the roadside. 



In the orchards they were easily controlled by spraying with 

 arsenate of lead in May. When spraying was not carried on, 

 the nests were either burned or neglected, the branches being 

 seriously injured in either case. 



Smaller infestations of tussock moths, canker worms, forest 



