Page 6 



BETTER FRUIT 



February, 1920 



Power sprayer arranged to reach both the upper and lower parts of the tree. 



ground. Special attention should be given to 

 the destruction of the hibernating insects by 

 scraping off the rough bark of the trunk and 

 limbs, and spraying the trees thoroughly be- 

 fore the adults go into hibernation in the fall, 

 or before they emerge from hibernation in the 

 spring. Days should be selected when the 

 sprays will not freeze on the trees. An effect- 

 ive winter-spray is made up as follows: Forty 

 per cent nicotine sulphate, three-fourths of a 

 pint; fish-oil soap, 3 to 5 pounds; water, 100 

 gallons. Psylla eggs about to hatch, and young 

 nymphs, may be successfully treated in early 

 spring as the blossoms in the cluster buds are 

 spreading, using winter-strength lime-sulphur 

 solution. It usually w ill be practicable to defer 

 the application for the San Jose scale until 

 this time. Nymphs of the flrst brood mostly 

 congregate in the axils of the young leaves and 

 fruit, and may again be treated with the nico- 

 tine-soap spray, above mentioned, applied just 

 after the blossoms have fallen, arsenate of 

 lead being added for the codling moth. 



Pear thrips — The adult pear thrips come 

 from the ground in the spring as the bud scales 

 are spreading, and owing to their minute size 

 are able to work their way within, where they 

 feed upon the tender tissues of leaf and flower 

 buds. Fruits like the pear and prune, which 

 bear the blossoms in clusters, suffer worst, 

 and when the insects are abundant the crop 

 literally may be destroyed in the bud. Fruit 

 blossoms attacked, but which escaped destruc- 

 tion, is likely to be deformed and scabby and 

 of lessened market value. The pear thrips has 

 caused large losses on the Pacific coast, and 

 more recently has become established in the 

 Hudson valley, in Maryland, and elsewhere in 

 the east. It is controlled by spraying with nico- 

 tine and soap, or nicotine-distillate spray 

 when the buds flrst begin to open, and again 

 after falling of blossoms. A second "bud ap- 

 plication" is desirable when the insects are 

 very abundant. Best results follow the use 

 of a coarse spray under high pressure and di- 

 rected from above into the opening buds. 



PEACH INSECTS. 



CONTROI.I.CD BY WINTBR OR DORMANT TREE 

 SPRAYING. 



San Jose scale — The San Jose scale requires 

 treatment on peach, and the winter strength 

 lime-sulphur solution should be used on stone 

 fruits in preference to oil sprays. 



Terrapin scale — In some regions the terrapin 

 scale is very troublesome on the peach and 

 plum. The honeydew or excrement voided by 

 the scales furnishes a medium for the growth 

 of a black mold which covers the foliage and 

 fruit, lessening the market value of the latter. 

 Lime-sulphur sprays are not effective against 

 this pest, and a miscible oil should be applied 

 in the spring just as the buds begin to sw ell. 



Peach twig-borer — The peach twig-borer tun- 

 nels into the tender shoots of the peach in the 

 spring and later attacks the fruit. Fruit in- 



jury is especially common in California and 

 other western states. The insect winters as a 

 very small larvae in burrows in the bark, in 

 the crotches of the limbs, where it may be de- 

 stroyed by spraying the trees during the dor- 

 mant period with winter-strength kerosene 

 emulsion. Lime-sulphur solution, as used for 

 the San Jose scale, is effective if applied as 

 the buds begin to swell in the spring. 



CONTROLLED BY SUMMER SPRAYING AND OTHER 

 MEASURES. 



Plum curculio — The little snout-beetle known 

 as the plum curculio punctures the fruit for 

 cgg-Iaying and feeding purposes, causing it to 

 fall or become knotty or distorted. It is best 

 controlled by the use of arsenate of lead. Peach 

 growers should follow the peach spraying 

 schedule given later, thus controlling also the 

 peach scab and brown-rot. These three 

 troubles are much the most important ones of 

 the fruit and may be largely prevented. 



Peach borer — The peach borer attacks the 

 tree at or below the ground, eating out patches 

 or burrows in the inner bark, and its presence 

 is usually indicated by the exudation from the 

 crown of a mass of gum more or less mixed 

 with dirt and grass. It is a most serious en- 

 emy of the peach and to a less extent of other 

 stone fruits, and in most regions must be con- 

 trolled to prevent destruction of the trees. 

 There is no known method of control more sat- 

 isfactory than carefully worming the trees in 

 the spring and fall of each year. A related 

 species occurs on the Pacific coast, for which 

 the same control measures are recommended. 

 Lesser peach borer — The lesser peach borer 

 affects principally the trunk and branches of 

 the peach, plum, and cherry. It follows in- 

 jury to the bark, as from the effects of freez- 

 ing, barking during cultivation, etc. Its attacks 

 are best prevented by avoiding mechanical in- 

 jury to the trunks and limbs. Injured bark 

 should be cut out and the exposed parts of the 

 tree thoroughly coated with suitable paint. 

 Thorough worming is desirable in fall and 

 spring while worming for the peach borer. 



Frail-tree barkbeetle — The fruit-tree bark- 

 beetle, also called the shot-hole borer, attacks 

 most fruit trees as well as related wild plants. 

 Small holes are eaten in the bark, and in stone 

 fruits its injury is usually indicated by the 

 exudation of gum, often copiously. The beetles 

 prefer sickly or diseased trees, or those in a 

 weakened condition from any cause. Such 

 trees when once attacked may be quickly de- 

 stroyed, and the beetles, on account of their 

 abund.mce, are thus often thought to be the 

 real cause of the trouble. Injury is best avoid- 

 ed by maintaining trees in a vigorous growing 

 condition, by cultivation, fertlization, pruning, 

 etc. Trees recently attacked may often be 

 saved by severe pruning and fertilization with 

 a nitrogenous fertilizer. Thorough coating of 

 the trunk or branches with heavy whitewash 

 is desirable, as this interferes with the activi- 

 ties of the beetles. 



PEACH SPRAYING SCHEDULE. 



DORMANT TREE SPRAYING. 



Use lime-sulphur concentrate at the rate of 

 about 7 gallons for each 50 gallons of water. 

 'Iliis is for the San Jose scale, and if applied 

 just before the buds are due to swell in the 

 spring it will also control peach leaf-curl and 

 the peach twig-borer. 



SUMMER SPRAYING. 



In the eastern half of the United States most 

 of the peach orchards should be given the 

 combined treatment of arsenate of lead and 

 self-boiled lime-sulphur mixture for curculio, 

 scab, and brown-rot. The latter disease is 

 more especially troublesome in the south, 

 whereas peach scab is worst in the Allegheny 

 mountain region and in the northern states. 

 Peach spraying is now largely practiced by 

 commercial orchardists with excellent results. 



Midseason varieties — The midseason varie- 

 ties of peaches, such as Reeves, Belle, Early 

 Crawford, and Elberta, should be sprayed as 

 foUow's : 



(1). With 2 pounds of arsenate of lead 

 paste (or 1 pound of arsenate of lead powder) 

 per 50 gallons of water, to which has been 

 added the milk of lime made from slaking 3 

 or 4 pounds of stone lime, about 10 days after 

 the petals have fallen, or at the time the cal- 

 yces are shedding. 



(2). With self-boiled lime-sulphur mixture 

 and arsenate of lead, two weeks later, or four 

 to Ave weeks after the petals have been shed. 



(3). With self-boiled lime-sulphur mixture 

 fomitting the arsenical) four or five weeks be- 

 fore the fruit is due to ripen. 



Late varieties — The Salway, Heath, Bilyeu, 

 and other varieties with a similar ripening pe- 

 riod should receive the same treatment pre- 

 scribed above, with an additional application 

 of self-boiled lime-sulphur mixture alone, to 

 be applied three or four weeks after the second 

 application. 



Early varieties — The Greensboro, Carman, 

 Hi ley. Mountain Rose, etc., and varieties of 

 the same ripening period should receive the 

 first and second applications only, as pre- 

 scribed for mid-season varieties. 



PLUM AND CHERRY SPRAYING. 



Japanese plums should receive the same 

 treatment as peaches having the same ripen- 

 ing season. Soap should be added in the third 

 application to enable the spray to stick to the 

 smooth plum fruits. 



Plums other than the Japanese varieties 

 should receive the treatment outlined in the 

 peach-spraying schedule, except that lime-sul- 

 phur solution diluted at the rate of 1 gallon to 

 40 gallons of water is to be preferred to the 

 self-boiled lime-sulphur mixture. 



Cherries should receive the same treatment 

 as early varieties of peaches, except that lime- 

 sulphur diluted at the rate of 1 gallon to 40 

 gallons of water should be used in place of 

 the self-boiled lime-sulphur mixture. Where 

 leaf-spot has been severe this solution should 

 also be used in the flrst treatment. For the 

 control of leaf-spot an application of the di- 

 luted lime-sulphur solution should also be 

 made as soon as the fruit has been picked. 



CHERRY INSECTS. 



CONTROLLED BY "WINTER OR DORMANT TREE 

 SPRAYING. 



Cherru scale — The cherry scale resembles 

 closely the San Jose scale and sometimes re- 

 quires treatment on cherry. Lime-sulphur so- 

 lution is used as for the San Jose scale. See 

 peach spraying schedule. 



Cherry aphis — The cherry aphis is a black, 

 shiny aphid which curls the tender foliage of 

 the cherry in the spring and summer, often 

 severely checking the growth of the trees. It 

 winters on the trees in the egg state, and the 

 young aphids upon hatching congregate on 

 the opening buds. Thorough spraying as the 

 buds are breaking with a nicotine-soap spray 

 or with nicotine in winter strength lime-sul- 

 phur spray as for apple aphids will be effect- 

 ive. Summer spraying is of comparatively 

 little value, the insects being protected from 

 the spray by the eurled-up leaves. 



CONTROLLED BY SUMMER SPRAYING AND OTHER 

 MEASURES. 



Plum curculio — The plum curculio seriously 

 injures the cherry and with brown-rot is con- 

 trolled by the schedule of spray applications 

 given for the peach. The first and second treat- 

 ments only are necessary. 



Cherry fruit flies — In some parts of the 

 northern United States cherries are often more 

 or less infested by the maggots of two species 

 of fruit flies. There is often little external 

 evidence of infestation, though well ripened 

 cherries may become more or less shrunken. 

 Wormy cherries thus are often gathered for 

 Continued on page 40. 



