154 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Since there is so little known, but little can be said on the subject 

 of its treatment. Sulfur in some or any form is a recognized specific 

 for mites. The question would seem to be "How can these pests be 

 reached?" Prof. Waite wha found the mite wintering in the buds 

 late in the season observed trees sprayed with lime-sulphur at winter 

 strength were nearly free from them, and advises thorough spraying 

 of young orchard or nursery stock that may be used for getting buds, 

 and also spraying seedlings during the growing seascm at intervals 

 before budding time with a self-boiled lime-sulfur solution prej)ared 

 as for a fungicide. 



There may be considerable doubt as to the efficiency of the lime- 

 sulfur spray or any other spray for that matter. One nursery com- 

 pan}' dipped the scions in lime-sulfur solution and the trees from 

 these buds showed the greatest injury from the mites of those any- 

 where observed. This may probably be due to the fact that by 

 dipping and then allowing to stand without ventilation the buds 

 were liable to be injured, and after injury and washing by rain the 

 mites would be likely to start where there is more or less dying 

 tissue. 



The habit of burying themselves in the young buds and in the tis- 

 sues of the dead tips of twigs would seem to make it almost im- 

 possible for the spray material to reach them. They are no doubt 

 more exposed during the growing season when they are feeding and 

 migrating to fresh buds than in the v/inter or dormant season, but 

 the best recommendations that can be given for their suppression 

 are first, to spray thoroughly during the dormant season with lime- 

 sulfur solution the same as for the San Jose scale, and second, during 

 the growing season of the peach trees spray with the self-boiled lime- 

 sulfur solution. It must be remembered that the peach bud mite 

 works only in the buds and we have observed it only in nursery stock, 

 therefore, there is not much danger of introducing this pest into 

 orchards when infested trees are used for planting and are proi>erly 

 cut back. The writer has recently purch.lsed several thousand in- 

 fested trees and has them healed in ready for his own planting. This 

 is enough to show he does not consider this pest as a serious cause 

 of injury to growing trees, nor the infested nursery trees as a serious 

 menace to his mature orchard. The chief loss is to the nurseryman 

 whose trees are spread or made Avider by the mite and thus not be 

 sold as tall trees under the present method of selling trees according 

 to height. These very short, branchy, strong peach trees cannot be 

 sold at half as good price as the taller trees, although they are much 

 more valuable to the grower than straight trees at the same height. 

 They are thick and stock}-, but with the severe close pruning that is 

 needed in transplanting them there is no reason why they do not 

 make good trees in orchards. 



(f). The Apple f^eed Chalets. We also made investigations of the 

 apple seed chalcis, which is becoming a destructive pest in the north- 

 enr portion of this State, making original observations and investiga- 

 tions, which resulted in the following important circular issued from 

 this office: (See Fig. 2.) 



