130 THE AMERICAN PEACH ORCHARD 



the trees at the time of the first spring cultivation. 

 At the winter meeting of the Virginia State Hor- 

 ticultural Society in 1912 the dregs of lime-sulphur 

 wash were highly commended as a preventive of 

 peach borer troubles. The thick dregs were 

 swabbed on the trunk about the time when the adult 

 insects would normally be actively laying eggs. It 

 was claimed that the work was effective and that no 

 injury resulted to the trees. This method seems 

 worth trying experimentally, at least. 



THE LECANIUM SCALE 



This insect is very bad in certain parts of the 

 country and in certain parts of particular orchards. 

 It is, however, a local insect and not so well known 

 or generally found as the San Jose scale or the peach 

 tree borer. Nevertheless, it occasionally becomes 

 so bad as to take all the profit out of a good crop. 

 A sooty, moldy fungus forms on the excretions of 

 the insect. When this appears to a considerable ex- 

 tent on the fruit, it makes the product unmarket- 

 able. It occurs most frequently in certain parts of 

 Maryland, southern Pennsylvania and Georgia. 



This minute scale hatches about the middle of 

 June. The best time to treat it is when the young 

 are spreading over tree and fruit. At this time it 

 may be sprayed with a solution of whale oil soap, 

 made up in the proportion of one pound of soap to 

 four or five gallons of water. It may also be treated 

 with a 15 per cent solution of kerosene emulsion. 

 Either treatment is difiicult and noisome and of 

 limited effect. 



THE PLUM CURCULIO 



The insect becomes very troublesome in certain 

 years, its work being particularly noticeable when 



