ii8 



IRISH GARDENING 



I 



C'onimoii Orcluird Pests 

 Season 1911 



' our aniuKil circular to tmit-i;-ro\\i.'rs for 

 iiiformatiou ooiULM-ninj^- the fruit tiop 

 prospects wo invited eorrosponcknts to 



ion their most troublesome insect and 

 tunj^oid pests. 

 From the re- 

 plies receixed 

 (coverins^- the 

 whole ol' Ire- 

 land) we ha\e 

 selected those 

 that appear to 

 be the most pre- 

 valent, g-iving 

 brief descrip- 

 tive accounts of 

 the pests and 

 the nature oi 

 the injury due 

 to their attack, 

 tog-ether with 

 the most ap- 

 proved methods 

 of dealings with 

 them, with a 

 view to tlieir 

 eradicaticin. 



C'ankkr. 

 This disease is 

 attributed to the 

 action of a fungus 

 {Nedria difissima) 

 the spores oi 

 which gain an 

 entrance to tlie 

 stem or branch 

 through a wound in the bark. The deHcate micro- 

 scopical threads of the fungus find their way to the 

 internal living tissues, feed upon the sap, and induce 

 by their presence the abnormal appearance recog- 

 nised as canker. The .fungal threads form small 

 reddish "fruits" along the tract of the wound. Each 

 tiny fruit gives rise to very large numbers of ex- 

 tremely minute spores. Trees in bad health, due to 

 conditions unsuitable to them, are more liable to attack 

 than perfectly healthy ones. Canker is a case for the 

 surgeon's knife. The affected parts ought to be cut 

 out at an early stage and the wound covered with a 

 coat of tar. Badly cankered trees ought to be cut down 

 and burned, as they act as infection centres in the 

 orchard. 



Th 



Ai-ri.F. Mm.iikw. 

 ipple mildew (/'oi/os/>fiirni Itiiiotrichu) is a fungus 



that attacks the io.ify shoots of the apple, giving liiem 

 .1 powdiry, silver-white appearance and causing a 

 serious arrest of growtli. The best remedy we have 

 trieil is spraying immediately the trouble appears with 

 a solution of potassium sulphide (liver of sulphur). The 

 strength used will vary from ^ \o ozs. to lo gallons of 

 water according to the age of shoot, the hardness of 

 llie tree, or the season of the year. If the diseased 

 siioot can l)e spared it is better to cut it clean away. 



.\rPl,E-.SCAH. 



.l/)/>/t--s<iib is connnon. The "scabs" make tiiew 



.Apple Branch affected by 

 Canker. 



appearance on the fruit ; 

 oli\e-green, brown, or 

 sooty black colour. 

 The disease is due to 

 the attack of a fungus 

 ( /-'lis icladiti in licit drit /- 

 nou) which interferes 

 with normal growtli, 

 some time causing dis- 

 tortion, and not infre- 

 quently the falling ot 

 very young fruit. 

 When the attack is 

 severe the foliage 

 looks brown and dry. 

 As a preventative all 

 fallen diseased leaves 

 and useless fruit should 

 be destroyed, hi win- 

 ter the trees ought to 

 be sprayed with cop- 

 per sulphate solution, 

 i-i lb. to lo gallons of 

 water, or with a caus- 

 tic wash. In summer 

 spray several times 

 with Bordeaux mix- 

 ture. 



Greenfly. 

 The leaf- curling 

 aphis that attacks 

 apple trees (known as 

 the Aphis Pomi) is also 

 prone to cause distor- 

 tion of the young 

 shoots. The injury is 

 due to the little crea- 

 tures stabbing the 

 tissue of its host in 

 ord.er to suck its rich 

 sap. Furthermore, 



the honey secreted by 

 these pests choke up 

 the stomal opening of 

 the leaf and inter- 

 feres with their work. 

 The most effectual re 



Th 



ire of an 



Apple Twig affected ky 

 Scab 



(Knlarged to twice natural size). 



edy we know is to spray 

 with a paraffin emulsion, made up of paraffin (i6 ozs.), 

 soft soap (2;^ lbs.) and water {()\ gallons). It is 

 most important to "churn 



the mixture well with 



