PP.OCEEDINCiS^ l!)l;^. "3 



1he trunks and limbs of trees to these piercing plant-liee. At least, I am sure of 

 the orchards on Coldstream Estate; those which have been infested with woolly 

 aphis have been clearly the most subject to many forms of canker which found 

 foothold through punctures in bark caused by these aphides. It is likely tliat where 

 continued infestation has taken place the stimulated growth and gall formations 

 caused by woolly apple-aphis will so weaken a tree as to make it more subject to 

 tlie ills of adverse physiological conditions. 



Many growers are attributing their losses of crops, and their troubles willi 

 silver-leaf and fruit-pit, to physiological troubles, and yet are neglecting to study 

 ways and means of keeping their orchard conditions balanced, so as to meet any 

 excessive moisture during summer or fall season ; to better withstand the inroads 

 of frost in winter ; in fact, to hold the trees as nearly to the normal as possible. 

 A tree loaded with woolly aphis is not only injured in the trunk and limbs so that 

 they are not able to perfectly perform their functions, but the roots are often killed 

 to such an extent as to prevent the proper flow of sap. Yet growers wonder why 

 such trees are not producing good crops of high-class fruit every year. 



In addition to the early spring spraying for woolly apple-aphis, an application 

 of a 15-per-ceut. solution of kerosene emulsion, or Black Leaf 40, 1 part to 900, 

 about the 10th to 15th of September, in Vernon District, will free the tree-tops 

 of these insects previous to the appearance of the winged viviparous females, which 

 probably migrate to another host-plant, beyond control. 



There are many .spray combinations equally effective in other locations as are 

 the ones I have briefly suggested for this district, and oi)inions differ widel.v as to 

 when and how they should be applied. But the orchardist's problem in controlling 

 pests does not stop with the knowledge of the life-history of insects; with the best 

 sprays to use or the right time to apply them ; nor is spraying alone the most 

 economically effective means of controlling them. 



It is necessary to make every phase of orchard operation tend to hull) every 

 other, and the grower who successfully does this reduces to a minimum the expense 

 of orchard care. For example, trees infested with woolly apple-aphis are most 

 dangerously infected in the roots and generally in the first foot of .soil, within a 

 radius of 3 to 4 feet of the tree. It is very expensive to shovel the dirt away 

 from the crown of the tree for spraying, but sometimes even this would pay. 

 However, I believe you can do better. In the spring or early fall, if moisture 

 conditions are favourable, start single jdoughing by throwing a furrow away from 

 tree on each side — a necessary operation every other year. Have a man follow uji 

 the plough and with a large digger-hoe, or shovel, expose as much of crown and 

 roots as possible within a 4-foot radius of the tree. This can be done very quickly 

 if you catch moisture conditions just right. Follow this up with a thorough spraying 

 of kerosene emulsion, forcing the spray well into the soil about the crown and base 

 of the tree. You are in this ca-se taking advantage of another orchard operation 

 which makes the spraying more effective. 



Another example : The eggs of the green apple-aphis are found extensively 

 towards the end of tlie previous season's growth. Very frequently those eggs 

 w ill be deposited on one or two growths only to a tree. If you can arrange your 

 labours so as to prune the trees from one to four years old in late winter or early 

 s])ring, you can easily see the shining black eggs and clip them off in the regular 

 pruning operation, putting the cuttings in neat iiiles at one side of the tree, to be 

 easily hauled off and burned. B.v pruning young trees in the late winter bere, 

 you avoid exposing immature wood to our cold winter weather. 



In connection with pruning to control aphides, some growers practise cutting 

 off shoots in summer as fast as aphides appear on them. The infection is so 

 scattered that it seldom pays to take out the power-.sprayer, and with the exception 

 of very small trees the ordinary hand knapsack sprayer is not effcetivo.. It is 

 certainly a complicated problem. If you prune off the infested shoots in early 

 July you cause a forced, soft, bunched growth which never matures and is easily 



