THE COTTONY MAPLE SCALE. 



THE COTTONY MAPLE SCALE. 



PROF. SAMUEL B. GREEN_, ST. ANTHONY PARK. 



367 



The cottony maple scale is becoming very troublesome on the 

 soft maples in some sections of this state. In the early summer 

 it has the appearance of being a mass of cotton held on the branches 

 by little scales. If this cotton is drawn out it will be seen to be full 

 of eggs or young, but one must look closely to see them, as they are 

 very small. 



This pest destroys the maple trees by sucking the sap. The 

 young hatch out in early summer and move about for several days. 

 On some branches that I had in my office in July the young com- 



The cottony maple scale. 



menced to crawl about the first of the month and in the course of 

 two or three days had moved about eight or ten feet along the 

 shelves in the office, and they were produced in such enormous 

 masses that they covered everything near the infested branch. 



The best way of combating this insect is perhaps not known, 

 but perhaps as good a way as any is to paint over the scales with a 

 brush lightly dipped in kerosene. It is possible that kerosene may 

 hurt the bark of your soft maples but probably not, since it is not 

 injurious to apples provided it is put on in bright, dry weather 

 in the latter part of winter, or early in the spring before growth 

 starts. The eggs and young are so well protected in the cotton 

 that it is difficult to reach them in summer with anything that will 

 be effective and yet not kill the leaves. If it is thought necessary to 

 fight them during the summer, perhaps the best plan would be to 



