February, ipso 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page 5 



patches or winding burrows here and there in 

 the flesh of the apple, and several larvae in 

 a fruit usually will reduce the pulp to a slimy 

 brownish mass. The insect is more or less 

 prevalent throughout the northeastern stales. 

 It prefers sweet and subacid varieties. Some 

 experimenters have found that if the foliage and 

 fruit are kept covered with a poison, such as 

 arsenate of lead, during early July, the flies are 

 destroyed before egg laying begins to any ex- 

 tent. Experience with this insect in Canada is 

 to the effect that sprays regularly applied for 

 the control of the codling moth and other in- 

 sects will also control the apple maggot. In 

 the home orchard and elsewhere care should 

 be taken to gather up promptly and destroy 

 wormy, fallen fruit. 



Apple red bugs — T\ie sucking insects known 

 as apple red bugs came into prominence re- 

 cently in New York state, Pennsylvania, and 

 elsewhere. They puncture the little fruits early 

 in the season, causing them to fall or become 

 pitted and deformed. Best control comes from 

 the use of 40 per cent nicotine sulphate, 1 pint 

 to 100 gallons of spray, added to the first scab 

 treatment before the blossoms open. It may 

 also be necessary to add the nicotine sulphate 

 to the first codling-moth treatment after the 

 falling of the petals. 



Bud moth — The caterpillars of the bud moth 

 attack the opening buds of the apple in the 

 spring, and it is particularly destructive 

 throughout the northern United States, extend- 

 ing west to the Pacific coast. The dark brown 

 caterpillars hibernate about half grown in 

 little cases around the buds, and as the little 

 leaves expand in the spring these are folded 

 together by threads of silk and the caterpillars 

 feed within the folded leaves. Injured leaves 

 often turn brown, and if the caterpillars are 

 abundant their work is quite conspicuous. Dur- 

 ing late summer the young larvse of the new 

 brood eat small holes in the apples, causing 

 important blemishes. In seriously infested or- 

 chards a spray of arsenate of lead, 2 pounds 

 of the powder (or 4 pounds of the paste) to 

 50 gallons of water or lime-sulphur solution, 

 should be applied when the flower clusters are 

 first in evidence. The arsenical in the first 

 scab treatment just before the flowers are 

 opened will effect further control. After the 

 pest is well reduced the usual spraying sched- 

 ule should keep it in check. 



Cankerworms — The cankerworms are slender 

 measuring worms, about 1 inch long when full 

 grown, that feed upon the foliage of various 

 fruit and other trees, but especially the apple 

 and elm. The leaves are attacked shortly after 

 they put out in the spring and may be quickly 

 devoured, leaving the trees brown as if swept 

 by fire. Orchards well sprayed as for the 

 codling moth suffer little. Injury to young 

 orchards can be stopped by spraying with 

 arsenate of lead promptly upon first signs of 

 injury. Cultivation of orchards during early 

 summer destroys many pupse in the ground. 

 Large apple and shade trees may be protected 

 by using bands of sticky substances, cotton 

 batting, etc., around the trunk. For the fall 

 cankerworm these bands should be in place in 

 late fall (October), and for the spring form 

 some four or five weeks before the buds are 

 due to open. 



Apple-tree tent caterpillar — In the spring the 

 apple-tree tent caterpillars make their un- 

 sightly nests, or tents, in trees along the road- 

 side, streams, neglected orchards, etc. The 

 wild cherry is their favorite food, though 

 numerous other plants arc attacked when the 

 caterpillars are abundant. They are rarely of 

 much importance in well-sprayed orchards. 

 The egg masses on the twigs should be searched 

 for when the trees are leafless, and destroyed, 

 and in the spring the nests should be torn out 

 and the caterpillars killed. Rags saturated 

 with kerosene on the end of a pole may be 

 used to destroy caterpillars in their nests in 

 the higher parts of the trees. 



Apple aphids — Plant-lice, or aphids, often 

 become abundant on the apple trees during 

 spring and summer. They are best treated as 

 the buds are breaking but if the insects con- 

 tinue abundant when the first scab treatment 

 is due, 40 per cent nicotine sulphate at the 

 rate of three-fourths pint to 100 gallons of spray 

 should be added to the dilute lime-sulphur 

 solution. It may be advisable to use the nico- 

 tine in the first codling-mf)th treatment also, 

 if the aphids continue destructive, though it 

 will serve merely to check them. The green 

 aphis is sometimes so abundant during sum- 

 mer, especially on young trees, as to warrant 

 treatment, but satisfactory control is ditficut 

 on account of the curled condition of the 

 leaves. 



Hnnndheaded apple-tree borer — The round- 

 headed apple-tree borer infests the apple, 

 quince, pear, and numerous wild plants, espe- 

 cially the service-berry, mountain ash, and 

 crab. Trees are attacked at or near the base. 



the larvEE feeding the first season under the 

 bark and during the second and third years 

 entering the wood. A few borers in a young 

 tree may kill it, and older trees are always 

 greatly injured by them. Fruit trees subject 

 to attack should be ^^ ormed each year, care 

 being taken not to injure the bark and wood 

 more than necessaiy. The beetles are laying 

 eggs during May and June and less actively 

 until September. They may be largely deter- 

 red from egg laying by coating the trunk of 

 the trees, from 3 to 4 inches below the ground 

 to about 1 foot above, with paint. It will often 

 be practicable to remove from the neighbor- 

 hood of orchards wild host plants, such as 

 service-berry trees and the mountain ash. 



Woolly apple aphis — The woolly apple aphis 

 occurs on the limbs and twigs of apple as 

 bluish-white colonies, or patches, but is n^ore 

 injurious to the roots, which become knotty 

 and deformed, thereby stunting the trees and 

 at times resulting in their death, especially 

 during periods of drought. Trees found to be 

 suft'ering from the woolly aphis at the roots 

 should be given especial care as to fertilization 

 and cultivation, to enable them to grow in 

 spite of the presence of the insect. Lack of 

 growth due to unfavorable soil conditions is 

 often attributed to this insect. Colonies of 

 aphids on limbs and branches may be con- 

 trolled with contact sprays, such as petrole- 

 um oils. 



APPLE SPRAYING SCHEDULE. 



DORMANT TREK SPRAYING. 



During the dormant period of trees sprays 

 may be used much stronger than at other times 

 and for this reason dormant tree spraying is 

 especially advisable for the treatment of scale 

 insects, the blister mite, etc. Applications may 

 be made after the leaves have fallen in the 

 fall, during warm days in the winter, or in 

 the spring before the new growth begins to 

 appear. Where aphids are troublesome it is 

 often practicable to delay the San Jose scale 

 treatment until just as the buds are breaking, 

 and. by adding nicotine to the strong lime- 

 sulphur solution, effect a combination treat- 

 ment for both the scale and aphids. 



SUMMER SPRAYING. 



First application — Use concentrated lime-sul- 

 phur solution (33° Baume) at the rate of IV. 

 gallons to 50 gallons of water plus 2 pounds 

 of arsenate of lead paste (or 1 pound of pow- 

 dered arsenate of lead) just before the blos- 

 soms open. This is for apple scab, the plum 

 curculio, cankerworms, the bud moth, case- 

 bearers, and the tent caterpillar. Add about 

 one-half pint of 40 per cent nicotine sulphate 

 if apple red bugs are troublesome and if 

 apple aphids are much in evidence. 



Second application — Use same spray as in 

 first application as soon as the blossoms have 

 fallen. Tliis is for the above mentioned troubles 

 as well as for the codling moth and leaf-spot. 

 It is the most important application for both 

 apple scab and the codling moth. In spraying 

 for the codling moth at this time the aim is to 

 drive into the calyx end of each little apple 

 a quantity of the poison, and, to accomplish 

 this, painstaking work is necessary. Failure 

 to do thorough spraying at this time for the 

 codling moth can not be remedied by subse- 

 quent applications. 



Third application — Use the same spray indi- 

 cated above, three to four weeks after the 

 blossoms have fallen. This is the second treat- 

 ment for the codling moth and leaf-spot, and 

 gives further protection against apple scab 

 and certain insects. In orchards in which 

 blotch has been prevalent this application 

 should be made not less than three weeks after 

 the blossoms have fallen. Where this disease 

 has been severe, Bordeaux mixture (4-4-50) 

 should be substituted for the lime-sulphur 

 solution. 



Fourth application — Use Bordeaux mixture 

 (■4-t-50) and an arsenical eight to nine weeks 

 after the petals have fallen. This is the first 

 application for the second brood of the cod- 

 ling moth and for bitter-rot. In orchards in 

 which bitter-rot has been a serious disease 

 this application should be advanced about one 

 week. 



Fifth application — Use Bordeaux mixture 

 fi'oni two to three weeks after the fourth ap- 

 plicatinn. This is the second application for 

 bitter-rot, and since it is very little extra ex- 

 pense to add an arsenical, this may be profit- 

 ably done as a further protection against late- 

 appearing laiv.T of the codling moth. 



Sixth application — Use Bordeaux mixture 

 again two or three weeks after the fifth treat- 

 ment has been applied. This is the third ap- 

 plication for bitter-rot and is ordinarily sufti- 

 cient to carry the fruit through, but on special- 

 ly susceptible varieties in bitter-rot sections a 

 treatment to be made two weeks later may be 

 found necessary. 



Small hand pump I>!m; u| .•^I>l ;i\ i-r . 



Seventh application — In severe cases of bit- 

 ter-rot a seventh application may be necessary, 

 and in severe cases of blotch an extra treat- 

 ment midway between the third and fourth 

 applications is sometimes required. 



NoTF — In the more northern apple-growing 

 sections the first four applications, during or- 

 dinary seasons, will be sufficient to protect the 

 fruit from various insects and diseases men- 

 tioned. In the more central states, where bit- 

 ter-rot and blotch are prevalent, the fifth and 

 sixth applications will be necessary. In the 

 case of summer apples only the first three ap- 

 plications are needed. 



PEAR INSECTS. 



CONTROLLED BY WINTER OR DORMANT TREE 

 SPRAYING. 



San Jose scale — The San Jose scale infests 

 pears (except Kieffer and LeConte varieties), 

 and should be treated as described for the San 

 Jose scale on apple. 



Pear-leaf blister mite — The leaf blister mite 

 is usually present wherever pears are grown 

 and frequently requires treatment on pears as 

 ^^■ell as on apples. The mites \\ inter behind 

 the bud scales and attack the unfolding leaves 

 and young fruit in the spring, causing reddish 

 or greenish blisterlike spots which, later in the 

 season, become brown and dead. If the attack 

 is severe, the foliage may fall, stunting the 

 fruit and in extreme cases causing it to shed. 

 The lime-sulphur and oil sprays used for the 

 San Jose scale keep the blister mite in check. 



CONTROLLED BY SUINIMER SPRAYING AND OTHER 

 MF.ASIIRKS. 



Codling moth — The apple worm also attacks 

 the pear, in some localities quite seriously. It 

 should be treated as reconmu-nded for the 

 apple; the second, third, and fourth applica- 

 tions of the apple spraying schedule being suf- 

 ficient. 



Pear slag — The pear slug skeletonizes the 

 leaves of the pear, cheri-y. and to some extent 

 the plum. The slimy snail-like larvae appear 

 on the trees in May oi- June, according to lati- 

 tude. A second brood may be in evidence 

 about midsummer. The pcot is easily con- 

 trolled by arsenicals spraye<l or dusted on the 

 foliage, or by the use of contact sprays. 



Pear-tree psijUa — The pear-tree psylla is very 

 troublesome in some regions and careful and 

 persistent work is required to keep it under 

 control. The insects suck out the sap from the 

 foliage and leaf stalks, causing the leaves t(i 

 tiU'U yellow, and later biow n, nnd many of 

 these fall prematurely, with consequent injury 

 to the fruit. Infested trees are usually sooty 

 in appearance, resulting from the growth of a 

 black fungus on the sticky excrement or honey- 

 dew voided by the insects. Adults hibernate 

 in cracks in the bark of ihe trunk and limbs, 

 under bark scales, or under trash on ihe 



