No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 305 



we do uot generallj consider it such lliat it is necessary to take 

 practical steps for its control, but if such should be thought neces 

 sary, it should be sullicient to spray thoroughly with a mild con- 

 tact insecticide. 



The W'ooiy Aphis is a very serious orchard pest. This little 

 bluish white plant louse is to be found in most orchards where 

 the bark has been slightly injured. It attacks the branches, the 

 trunk or the roots. By looking around the edge of the injured spot 

 a bluish-white ring may be often seen. Upon examination this is 

 found to consist of these little pests, sometimes looking as though 

 covered with flour. It is best to treat them either by spraying or 

 by washing the injury with a brush dipped into a mixture of 

 pure white lead and linseed oil or a very strong solution of soap 

 or soft soap. Where this occurs upon the roots of trees, it is advis- 

 able to bur}" an abundance of tobacco dust around the roots. This 

 not only acts as a very good orchard fertilizer, being worth about 

 at least twenty dollars per ton for this purpose, but also acts as a 

 valuable insecticide in destroying such pests as Wooly Aphis and 

 other root-infesting insects. 



Bagworms have attracted considerable attention by their unusual 

 numbers and destruction of foliage, but as these are so easily seen 

 while the trees are dormant, and so easily killed, both by hand 

 picking at that time, and by spraying with arsenical poisons after 

 the leaves appear, there is no reason why injury should be experi- 

 enced by this pest. Household pests, such as Cockroaches, Bed- 

 bugs, Flies, Fleas and other insects, have been the subject of much 

 inquiry, and have been controlled satisfactorily, and in fact in many 

 houses were entirely exterminated by thoroughly and properly 

 fumigating with hydrocyanic acid gas. There is no reason why one 

 should suffer from such pests after having been informed of the 

 efficiency and ease with which they can be exterminated. 



The subject of bees and bee-keeping has received considerable 

 attention from the members of the State Bee-Keepers' Association 

 and others, and several persons have tried bees of the various 

 races. It is generally accepted that the Italian is the standard 

 race of bees known to American bee-keepers at present. 



Among beetles, the Asparagus Beetle has been extending its 

 range over the State, but as this is easy to keep in check by dust- 

 ing with freshly slaked lime, or with flour and Paris G-reen, one 

 part of the poison to forty parts of flour, there is no reason why 

 it should be very destructive. The Striped Cucumber Beetle was 

 abundant and injurious in most parts of this State, but is prevented 

 chiefly by covering the plants with netting until the vines start to 

 run. The unquesionably good effects of Lady Beetles as destroyers 

 of obnoxious insects, and especially of young scale insects and 

 plant lice, are noted many times. Also the value of the Ground 

 Beetles as predaceous insects in destroying larva^ and other insects. 

 Bark Beetles have continued to bore their little round holes 

 through the bark of trees that are declining and hasten their death, 

 giving the appearance of having been in many cases the sole cause 

 of the trouble. It is to be remembered that wherever a branch is 

 dying through having become broken or otherwise, the Bark Beetle 

 is ready to attack it, and oftentimes we see the work of the Shot- 



20—6—1907. 



