358 Report of the Departmext of Entomology of the 



stems and foliage could be seen in most plantings. Blossoms of 

 apricots, peaches and quinces were also rarely free from adult 

 thrips. 



SPEAYIIs^G EXPEPJMEXTS m THE HOVER 



ORCHARD. 



The early discovery of the thrips during the past spring en- 

 abled the Station to carry out a number of spraying experiments 

 to determine methods for the protection of orchards. Besides, 

 opportunity was also afforded to assist a number of fruitgrowers 

 to determine what they could accomplish by spraying under their 

 own conditions. Of these efforts the experiments conducted in 

 the Kieffer orchard of A. W. Hover & Brother were the most suc- 

 cessful. As they are very instructive as to the difficulties of the 

 problem and as to the requirements for efficient work against the 

 thrips the principal details of the various tests in this planting 

 are discussed quite fully to guide fruitgrowers in future spraying 

 operations. 



DESCRIPTIOX OF OKCIIAKD. 



This orchard consists of about three hundred and thirty-four 

 trees which are nearly all Kieffers, interplanted with a few Bart- 

 letts. The trees are fourteen years old and are fifteen feet apart. 

 This planting is located on a warm, protected slope with an east- 

 ern exposure, and the soil is a shale loam which is kept in a high 

 state of fertility by cultivation, cover crops and commercial fer- 

 tilizers. Injuries to the trees were first noticed in 1909, which 

 resulted in an abnormally small yield. In 1910 the showing of 

 blossom clusters was promising, but a severe blighting set in 

 which was not only followed by a total loss of fruit, but the trees 

 received a severe setback because of the destruction of manv of 

 the leaf buds and blossom clusters. This orchard is only one of 

 a number belonging to this firm, but on account of its location, 

 which favors an early opening of the buds, the losses by the thrips 

 have always been much more extensive than in other plantings of 

 Kieffers, Bartletts and Clapp Favorites variously located on the 

 farm. 



