THE PLUM IN KANSAS. 133 



bloom falls) the following: One bushel of air-slaked lime, one bushel 

 of wood ashes, two pounds of concentrated lye, two pounds of cop- 

 peras, ten pounds of sulphur, one package of salt ; mix with a hoe, 

 and apply through an old sieve. Protect the hands while applying it, 

 or they will suffer much. 



PLUM-TREE APHIS. 

 From Bulletin No. 65, Utah Experiment Station. 



The plum-tree aphis lives over winter in the egg stage. The eggs 

 hatch early in spring into a generation of wingless females, known as 

 "stem-mothers," which soon attain maturity and begin to produce 

 living young. This second generation is also entirely females, and 

 they, in turn, produce female young. After this manner the succeed- 

 ing generations are all females until the last generation of the season, 

 which contains males. The sexes then mate and the females lay their 

 eggs on the twigs and buds, for hatching early the following spring 

 into the "stem-mothers." If at any time during the season the colo- 

 nies of aphids become crowded, or the food supply becomes limited, 

 then winged young are brought forth, and they fly to other host plants 

 and start new colonies. 



The aphids congregate on the under sides and suck their food, the 

 sap, from the leaves. As soon as they begin their work the leaves 

 crum^Dle up and the edges turn under, thus partially covering up and 

 protecting the lice. When this condition occurs it is extremely diffi- 

 cult to reach the insect with the spraying solution. The time to spray 

 them is just as soon as the young lice appear in the spring, and before 

 the leaves begin to crumple and the edges to turn under. 



The black aphids of the plum collect on the tips of the new 

 shoots, and in case they are securely located before spraying has been 

 done, it is probably best to cut off the infested tips, and burn them. 

 In this way thousands of the lice will be destroyed. 



Remedi/ : Some remedy must be used which kills by contact, and of these 

 there are several, as mentioned below. Whichever mixture is used must be ap- 

 plied early in spring, when the first generation hatches, and as often thereafter 

 as it is necessary to keep the lice in check. The spraying must be done thor- 

 oughly, directing the spray so it will drench the lower side of the leaves. Whale- 

 oil soap, one pound to seven gallons of water. Kerosene emulsion, one gallon to 

 from ten to fifteen gallons of water. 



NATURAL ENEMIES OF THE APHIDS. 



There are several insects which [feed upon plant-lice, the most 

 prominent of which are several species of the ladybird beetle. Both 

 the mature beetle and its larvse feed upon the aphids, and thus are 

 friends to the fruit-grower. A ladybird beetle should never be in- 

 jured. Other predaceous enemies are the larvae of the syrphus fly, 

 and the aphis lion or larv?e of a lace-winged fly. There are also a 

 few parasitic insects which destroy many plant-lice. 



