23 



SOME SUCCESSES .\ND FAILURES IN CONTROLLING 

 INSECTS IN 1914 



By C. R. Crosby, Cornell University 



(Abstract) 



The season of 1914 was an interesting one for the Entomologists of 

 New York. Severe outbreaks of army worms and grass-hoppers occurred 

 in many parts of the State. The fruit-tree leaf-roller, the green fruit-worms, 

 the green and rosy aphis and apple" red bugs have been very abundant in 

 the orchards of the State and in many places have caused severe injury. 



In this paper I shall discuss only two of these pests, the fruit-tree leaf- 

 roller and the apple red bugs. In addition, I shall attempt to give an account 

 of a series of experiments conducted to determine the effectiveness, cost, 

 and general practicability of the dusting method of applying insecticides 

 and fungicides to apple trees. 



The Fruit-Tree Leaf-Roller. 



Archips argyrospila Walker. 

 The fruit-tree leaf-roller has been a serious enemy of the apple 

 for some years in the orchards of Colorado and Missouri. The insect has 

 been found in New York State since 1874 but it was not until 1911 that it 

 became a serious pest. During the spring of that year, the insects appeared 

 in large numbers in the orchards of Genesee County and caused great loss 

 to the crop. Since that time it has been gradually increasing in importance 

 until during the past year it caused more or less injury in most orchards 

 throughout the apple growing sections and was very injurious in a few 

 widely separated localities. 



The insect hibernates in the egg stage. The eggs are attached to the 

 twigs and smaller branches in small, oval, flat greyish patches about one-quar- 

 ter of an inch in diameter. The number of eggs in each mass varies consider- 

 ably but the average is about 105. Each mass is covered with a smooth 

 varnish-like substance imper\ious to the lime-sulfur solution. The eggs 

 hatch just as the buds are opening and the small black-headed green cater- 

 pillars burrow into the bursting buds and later feed on the opening leaves 

 and blossoms. The caterpillars tie together the young leaves and blossoms 

 with a silken web often curling or rolling the leaves in which they rest. 

 As soon as the blossoms fall the partly grown caterpillars begin feeding on 

 the young fruits in which they eat out large irregular cavities. The fruits 

 most severely injured soon fall but those less badly eaten may mature, 

 but are knotty and unmarketable. The wound made by the caterpillars 

 heals over, leaving a brownish cork\" scar. In some orchards, where the in- 



