Paze 13 



BETTER FRUIT 



May. 1920 



countries the vinegar made from grapes 

 is considered the best and commends 

 the highest prices. In this country, how- 

 ever, grape vinegar has not met with 

 especial favor, principally because most 

 of that placed on the market was made 

 from spoiled wine by unskillful meth- 

 ods. When made from good material by 

 proper methods it is as good here as in 

 France, and as good grape vinegar con- 

 tains about eight per cent of acetic acid, 

 which is twice the legal standard, its 

 use is more economical than ordinary 

 vinegar, even though it costs double the 

 price of cider or apple vinegar. Since 

 the first steps in making vinegar are 

 identical with those for making wine, 

 a large part of the present equipment 

 of a winery can be utilized for the new 

 industry. Grape vinegar can be made 

 for approximately the cost of wine or 

 a little more, and it is possible to pay 

 from .$15 to .$20 per ton for grapes, 

 (or about what they are sold for wine- 

 making purposes) and still make an ex- 

 cellent grade of vinegar to sell at 25 or 



30 cents per gallon, wholesale. Although 

 the market for vinegar is somewhat 

 limited, it is thought that from one to 

 two million gallons of grape vinegar 

 can be disposed of annually in this 

 country. 



In an effort to devise all possible 

 means for converting wine grapes into 

 a profitable crop, the government scien- 

 tists have reported that certain of the 

 by-products of the manufacture of 

 grape juice, syrup and vinegar can be 

 saved and sold. The pomace from a 

 ton of grapes weighs from 250 to 350 

 pounds, and contains valuable matters, 

 such as sugar and cream of tartar, 

 which can be extracted and used. The 

 seed, which constitute about four per 

 cent of the weight of the grapes con- 

 tains an oil that is used for a number 

 of purposes in the industrial world, and 

 the press cake from which the oil has 

 been extracted can be used for stock 

 food, or it can be leached for the re- 

 covery of tannin. 



Treatment of the Woolly Aphid of the Apple 



By A. L. Melander, Entomologist State College of Agriculture, Pullman, Washing:ton 



THE Woolly Aphid is one of the most 

 insidious and dangerous of apple 

 pests. Unlike most plant lice this spe- 

 cies lives underground on the foots as 

 well as above ground on the branches, 

 and it is the root form which often 

 occurs unsuspected and which does the 

 most harm. While the branch form can 

 be controlled with comparative ease by 

 contact insecticides it is practically im- 

 possible to stamp out the root aphids 

 after they get a foothold. 



Tlie branch form clusters in colonies 

 along water spouts, on the under side 

 of twigs, about pruning scars, or among 

 the loose bark of the crown of the 

 trunk. Here throughout the summer 

 they beget wingless woolly females that 

 are able to reproduce without mating, 

 each giving birth to from two to twenty 

 young a day during a period of two or 

 more weeks. Following a dozen such 

 generations a brood of winged individ- 

 uals is produced, usually in September, 

 which fly to elm trees if they are to be 

 found and there produce stunted wing- 

 less males and females, the only sexed 

 individuals of the year. These diminu- 

 tive creatures mate and in a couple of 

 days each female deposits a single egg 

 in the crevice of the elm bark. Rarely 

 the September migrants locate on apple 

 trees, and rarely winter-eggs are to be 

 found in old colonies on the apple, but 

 the woolly aphid is capable of main- 

 taining its existence for years on the 

 apple whenever the agamic females are 

 able to survive the winter. Ordinarily 

 winter weather in Eastern Washington 

 is severe enough to destroy what indi- 

 viduals remain above ground, but in 

 Western Washington and following 

 mild winters in the central part of the 

 state some of the branch aphids are 

 able to live through the dormant con- 

 dition to assist in repopulating the trees 

 in the spring. Usually it is the mealy 

 root form that tides the species over the 

 winter on the apple. 



In the spring of the year, with the 



opening of the buds, the eggs on the elm 

 trees hatch, and for several generations 

 the woolly aphid lives on the under side 

 of the leaves, curling and stunting them. 

 Finally in early summer some winged 

 individuals are produced, which fly 

 from the elms to the apple and there 

 complete the year's life cycle. It is 

 interesting to note that while the insect 

 lives on the elm tree it is a leaf-curling 

 aphid, but when on the apple it rarely 

 attacks the leaves, preferring the stems 

 and woody parts of the tree. 



The woolly aphid is a serious pest. 

 It is more harmful to young trees than 

 to old. When feeding on the twigs it 

 poisons them, causing more or less 

 prominent swelling. On the roots it 

 forms nodules or galls which prevent 



llic interflow of sap, weakening the 

 tree, resulting in a yellowing of the 

 foliage and small size of fruit, and in 

 severe cases even in the death and 

 decay of the roots. 



While the elm and the apple are its 

 principle alternate hosts, the woolly 

 aphid can live on quince, pear and 

 mountain ash. The pear is infested by 

 two species of woolly apliids, a dis- 

 tinctive pear form and the apple spe- 

 cies. Of the varieties of apples the 

 Northern Spy is the least likely to be 

 attacked, often remaining free while 

 adjacent other varieties are seriously 

 infested. Nursery stock is apt to be- 

 come infested and thus the insect finds 

 ready access to a new region. Any 

 nursery plants that show traces of the 

 woolly aphid should be destroyed, and 

 the balance of the shipment should be 

 carefully treated or rejected. The in- 

 dividual trees may be loosened and 

 dipped in a well-emulsified 15 per cent 

 kerosene emulsion, and allowed to dry 

 singly before healing in. For large 

 quantities of trees fumigation with the 

 extremely poisonous cyanide gas may 

 be a quicker process, but the trees then 

 must be loosened so that the gas can 

 penetrate to the roots. 



Control of the woolly aphid above 

 ground calls for a forceful spraying 

 with some contact insecticide capable 

 of wetting through the waxy wool. 

 Owing to the present high cost of nico- 

 tine sprays probably the best agent to 

 use is kerosene emulsion. This can be 

 prepared by dissolving one-half pound 

 or more of common soap in one gallon 

 of boiling water, and away from the 

 fire churn into the suds two gallons of 

 kerosene. When emlusified and creamy 

 add ten gallons of water whereupon the 

 mixture is ready to use. This should be 

 sprayed with pressure to wet into the 

 colonies, drenching the crown of the 

 tree where the aphids are likely to con- 

 gregate. Two applications may be ne- 



Continued on page 30. 



Jack Knox was \Oithout a box 

 In wKicK to pack nis cneese. 



nite best is none too good, quotk he. 

 As he ordered a strong "B-D." 



Many other wise packers of 

 precious products are order- 

 ing Bloedel Donovan Boxes, 

 because they know they are 

 strong, well sawed, carefully 

 graded and cut from the best 

 lumber the Pacific Northwest 

 affords. 



BLOEDEL DONOVAN LUMBER MILLS 



1020 White Building, Seattle, Wasli. 



Spruce, Douglas Fir, Western Cedar, Hemlock, Red Cedar Shingles 

 Box Shooks and Lumber 



WHEN WRITING ADVERTISERS MENTION BETTER FRUIT 



