Xew Yokk Agricultukal Experiment Station. 343 



The thrips is a difficult pest to combat because of the nature 

 and suddenness of its attacks. Spraying is the most efficient 

 method of control. The period for effective spraying is during 

 the time when the buds are breaking and until they are en- 

 tirely opened at the tips. The most promising spraying mix- 

 tures are the nicotine preparations in combination with kerosene 

 emulsion or soap. Two or three applications on successive days 

 during the past year largely prevented important injuries to 

 pear trees. The physical features of the locations of the or- 

 chards, such as the direction and elevation of the slopes of the 

 land, proximity to the Hudson River and character of the soil, 

 have a marked influence on the development of the buds and 

 the time of blossoming. The time for effective spraying will 

 therefore vary with individual orchards. 



KOTES OIsT THE INSECT. 



DISCOVERY. 



At farmers' institutes in the Hudson Valley during the spring 

 of 1911, mention was frequently made of a peculiar blighting of 

 pear blossoms which often resulted in a considerable loss of the 

 crop. Chief interest in this trouble centered about Germantown, 

 where certain fruitgrowers were alarmed at the unproductiveness 

 of their orchards in spite of a promising showing of blossom buds 

 for successive years. Judging from the sentiments of the orchard- 

 ists and the knowledge that was available, the destruction of the 

 blossoms could not be satisfactorily attributed to one of the more 

 common insects or diseases that attack pears in this State. In 

 order to determine the primary cause of the trouble, arrange- 

 ments were made with Mr. A. W. Hover, an extensive fruitgrower 

 at Germantown, to forward to this Station from time to time dur- 

 ing April and early May pear buds in various stages of develop- 

 ment. The shipments were made in a most satisfactory manner 

 and on April 2G a bundle of pear wood was received by the En- 

 tomological Department which showed a few thrips crawling about 

 the fruit spurs. In order that the insect should be correctly ideu- 



