214 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



CALENDAR OF INSECT PESTS AND PLANT 



DISEASES. 



By E. J. VosLER^ Assistant Superintendent of the State Insectary. 



[Under tlie above heading the author aims to give brief, popular descriptions and 

 methods of controlling insect pests and plants as near as possible just prior to or at 

 the time when the suggestions given should be carried into effect by the growers.] 



DECIDUOUS FRUIT INSECTS. 



Foliage-Eating Caterpillars. 



There are a number of species of caterpillars which eat the foliage 

 of our deciduous fruit trees and often occur in such numbers as to stri]) 

 the leaves from the large branches. Some of these caterpillars spin 

 webs or tents from which they emerge, at times to feed on the leaves. 

 Take a torch and burn these tents when the caterpillars are inside. 

 Other species of caterpillars feed on the leaves in colonies when very 

 young, and if the leaves covered with these young worms are destroyed 

 further damage can be easily prevented. However, if the caterpillars 

 have become scattered over the trees, spray the foliage with arsenate 

 of lead, 3 pounds to 50 gallons of Avater. Cover surface of leaves 

 thoroughly. The tussock moth caterpillars are gray in color with num- 

 erous colored spots and many tufts, prominent among these being four 

 whitish ones on the upper side and two distinct black ones on the head. 

 Use zinc arsenite 4 to 6 pounds (it is stronger than arsenate of lead) to 

 200 gallons of water against these caterpillars as they are capable of 

 eating large doses of poison, apparently without much injury. The 

 tent caterpillars are hairy and black and yellow in color. The red 

 hump caterpillars have a prominent red hump on the fourth body seg- 

 ment, and the webworms are hairy caterpillars with dark stripes and 

 of a yellowish-green color. 



Plant Lice. 



The plant lice are small soft-bodied, sucking insects, generally of a 

 greenish or dark color. They cluster on the tender shoots and leaves, 

 deforming them and curling up the leaves. In order to kill these insects 

 it is necessary for the spray to hit them. Spray before they have curled 

 up the leaves, as spraying is difficult at that time. Use an angle nozzle 

 so that they may be reached from all sides. One of the best sprays to 

 use consists of black-leaf 40, three quarters of a pint, soap three to four 

 ]>ounds, water 100 gallons. This spray may be used in connection with 

 the arsenate of lead spray for the codling moth (apple worm). 



The Codling Moth. 



The codling moth causes wormy apples. The larvas are poisoned by 

 an arsenate of lead spray. The second application is made three to four 

 weeks after the petals of the blossoms have fallen. Use five pounds of 

 the arsenate of lead to 100 gallons of water. Do a thorough job, even 

 if some of the spray finds its way to the ground. 



