438 ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Scurfy Scale. — The Scurfy Scale stands next in the attention 

 given these pests of fruit growers, and is often mistaken for the 

 more serious San Jos6. However, it is easily distinguished accord- 

 ing to the specimens shown, and is controlled or exterminated by 

 many of the good remedies for the San Jos6. 



Lecanium. — ^^The fourth common scale insect in this State is the 

 Lecanium, also called Soft Scale and Turtle-shell Scale. In some 

 parts of the State it is very destructive to peach and plum, while 

 another species has commonly been reported upon the magnolia 

 and tulip trees. 



Among insects which have attracted the attention of the growers 

 of plants, are various kinds of Aphids or plant lice, which have a 

 host of enemies holding them in check, and which are to be destroyed 

 by comparatively mild contact insecticides, such as whale-oil soap, 

 one pound in six gallons of water, or soft soap, or common laundry 

 soap, one pound in about three gallons of water. 



The Woolly Aphis belongs to the sau^e family as the Green Aphis 

 and Brown Aphis. It works on the roots of plants as well as on 

 the branches, especially where the bark of either root or branch 

 has been injured. On the roots use tobacco dust abundantly worked 

 in around them, and upon the bark use any of the strong contact 

 insecticides, such as a wash of soap solution made as thick as paint. 



Unusual numbers of katydid eggs have been sent to us with the 

 supposition that thej were scale insects of some kind. The speci- 

 men exhibited was received yesterday, showing the eggs attached 

 to a wire; as a rule they are attached to small twigs of trees or 

 slirrb. Please note that practically all of these eggs are punctured 

 with holes of parasites, showing the beueficial effects of parasitic 

 insects In keeping in check what might become a very serious pest. 



During the past years we have had an outbreak of the Seventeen- 

 year Locust or Cicada, especially throughout the central part of 

 the State, from Montour and Columbia counties, southwestward 

 through the mountainous country, reaching across into Bedford, 

 Blair and Cambria counties, and including several other counties 

 in that region not here named. A small area of infestation by this 

 pest also occurred in the eastern part of the State, in Berks, Schuyl- 

 kill, Bucks and Montgomery counties, and possibly some adjacent 

 regions. Of course, their injury was made only by piercing branches 

 to lay their eggs. 



The Canker Worm has appeared in great numbers during the past 

 two or three years, from the central to the extreme western por- 

 tions of this State. However, last year their parasites were sufiS- 

 ciently numerous to control them in some of the extremely western 

 counties, like Beaver and Lawrence, and consequently they did not 

 appear there this year in such destructive numbers. A peculiar 

 feature of this Canker Worm outbreak is, that the pest was really 

 the Fall Canker Worm, but it had the habits of a quite different 

 species, known as the Spring Canker Worm, in ascending the trees 

 and laying its eggs in the spring of the year instead of in the fall. 

 Our experiments show that banding to prevent the female climbing 

 trees can be made effective if properly done and given close atten- 

 tion, but in the hands of many persons the bands were neglected, 

 and as soon as the conditions became favorable, she passed over 

 the bands and laid her eggs, and, unfortunately, banding was con- 



