THE KANSAS CHERRY. 87 



INSECTS AND DISEASES OF CHERRIES. 



Insects and diseases are not serious upon the sour cherries. The 

 curculio does not often attack the mid-season and late varieties — such 

 as Montmorency and Morello — seriously, particularly if the number 

 of trees is somewhat large. In occasional years, however, this insect 

 becomes a sourge. The grower must watch his fruits closely after 

 the blossoms fall, and if the curculio injuries become alarming, he 

 must catch the insects by jarring them onto sheets. There are those 

 who declare that they attract the curculio away from the cherries by 

 planting plum trees in the cherry orchard, bat I greatly doubt the 

 efficiency of this procedure. A complete account of the curculio may 

 be expected in a forthcoming bulletin. 



The leaf -blight, or shot-hole fungus ( Cylindrosiwrium padi or 

 Septorla cerasina, the same which attacks the plum), is often a 

 serious enemy, particularly upon English Morello. The leaves begin 

 to assume a spotted character, generally before the fruit is picked ; 

 they soon turn yellow and they fall prematurely. Thorough spraying 

 with Bordeaux mixture is as efficient in holding the leaves on the 

 cherry as it is on the plum. The trees should generally be sprayed 

 twice between the falling of the blossoms and the coloring of the 

 fruit. If the cherries are more than half grown when the last spray 

 is applied, the ammoniacal carbonate of copper may be used in place 

 of the Bordeaux, to avoid discoloring the fruit ; but it is doubtful if 

 the last spray should be delayed until this time. It may be neces- 

 sary to spray once after the fruit is off. 



CHERRY APHIS. (Myziis cerasi.) 



This is a black species, and is sometimes found on the cherry tree 

 in enormous numbers, usually on the leaves only, but also attacking 

 the tender twigs. They hatch from eggs deposited the previous au- 

 tumn on the twigs, and for a few weeks in May and June increase 

 very rapidly. Usually their numerous enemies lessen their numbers 

 so greatly that they may nearly or entirely disappear after three or 

 four weeks. In August they appear again, but usually not in such 

 numbers as earlier in the season. As yet this species does not seem 

 to be abundant in the state, but we have received specimens from 

 nearly every fruit-growing section. 



CHERRY APHIS. 



This little insect is one family of a large species, commonly known 

 as plant-lice, but are nearly black in color. They aj)i)ear early in the 

 sjjring and begin sucking the juice from the expanding buds. They 

 multiply very rapidly, and as growth takes place move to the new 

 shoots and leaves, where they collect in large numbers, especially on 



