346 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



results, instead of cutting with a machine. This was done about the time that 

 the second brood of worms appeared. 



The worms are easily killed with a spray of paris-green and lime, but as this 

 must not be used before the fruit is harvested, hellebore may be used early in. 

 the season before the fruit is of much size. 



After the crop is harvested the plants should be mowed and treated with paris- 

 green as previously advised to guard against the appearance of the pest next 

 season. 



DIRECTIONS FOR PREPARING INSECTICIDES. 



Most insects may be classified either as chewing insects or as sucking insects. 

 Beetles, grasshoppers, etc.. chew their food, while bugs, suck theirs by means 

 of long piercing beaks with which they penetrate inside to the juicy parts of the 

 plants. Moths and butterflies suck their food, when in the adult condition, but 

 chew it when in the larval state. Now chewing insects, in many cases, eat 

 foliage, fruit, etc., and if this food be treated with a coating of some arsenical 

 poison, they get the poison in the ordinary course of events, and die. Many 

 chewing insects, like some of the borers, are protected in their burrows and never 

 eat at the surface of the plant except possibly, when just entering the plant. 



Sucking insects are not affected by poisons of this nature, as they draw their 

 supply of food from beneath the surface. With them it is necessary to use some 

 substance like kerosene-emulsion, which kills by contact, but does not injure the 

 plant. Special contact insecticides have been found to work well against special 

 insects and at certain definite times, therefore the best results are obtained by 

 using a variety of killing agents, each suited to a particular purpose. 



While it is necessary to spray evenly and thoroughly with an arsenical poison, 

 like paris-green, it is easily seen that the utmost care is required to obtain good 

 results with a contact insecticide. Most beetles and caterpillars wander about 

 more or less and some of them will find the poison themselves, on the other 

 hand, each insect must be hit by a contact insecticide to be killed. 



As everyone knows, the arsenical poisons are the cheapest when effective, 

 and when nothing prohibits their use. Fruit well advanced or that which ripens 

 quickly, should not be sprayed with permanent poisons like paris-green. Helle- 

 bore has the advantage of losing its strength after a time, and may sometimes 

 be used when paris-green would not do. Then too, there is a very just law against 

 applying any spray during the time of bloom, thus protecting the little insects 

 of the bee family from being killed off. These little fellows fertilize the flowers 

 and make it possible for the fruit to obtain a start. 



Now a word about applying the spra^y. In general use a nozzle that will pro- 

 duce a fine spray, one that will stick in minute particles to the plant and which 

 will not go on in drops. Always stop spraying before the tree commences to drip. 

 Paris-green, and all the arsenites, remain in suspension in the water if properly 

 prepared, and are not dissolved. These small particles of poison will settle to 

 the lowest part of a drop of water, and remain on the plant as the water evapo- 

 rates, if the drop be of small size. If, on the other hand, the drops are large 

 enough or numerous enough to run together and drip off, most of the poison 

 drips off first, leaving very little to dry down on the plant. It is therefore 

 desirable to have the water evaporate as quickly as possible. This is best brought 

 about in dry, sunshiny weather. Such weather is best for kerosene-emulsion also, 

 because the oil is apt to injure the foliage if left on too long before evaporating. 

 Therefore choose dry, sunshiny weather for spraying if possible. 



