THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



A YEAR OP INSECT PLAGUES. 

 THE APHIS. 



Slingerland, of Cornell, pronounced 1903 

 a year of special insect infestation of or- 

 chards. In New York State the apple 

 aphis had been more destructive than ever 

 before. One orchardist declared that his 

 apple crop had actually been reduced one- 

 half by the lice, which had attacked both the 

 leaves and the fruit. The latter had been 

 small, blemished and ill shapen in conse- 

 quence. Nurserymen had been great suf- 

 ferers, one of them stating that his loss from 

 the plant lice in 1903 had not been less than 

 $5,000.00. 



" Will they trouble us again in 1904?" 

 asked some one. " Nobody can tell with cer- 

 tainty," said the professor, " but if this win- 

 ter you can find their little black shining 

 eggs on the branches, you may look for the 

 lice, unless the cold rains of spring, or their 

 natural enemies, the lady beetles, should 

 combine in their destruction. The best 

 remedy is whale oil soap, i lb. to 7 gallons 

 of water, applied in spring, before the eggs 

 hatch out. Kerosene emulsion is also efifec- 

 tive, but a little more troublesome of prepa- 

 ration." 



PEAR PSYLLA. 



Unfortunately this insect has become a 

 more constant enemy of late, and is very 

 numerous some seasons, frequently doing a 

 great deal of damage. Pear growers must 

 therefore be prepared to fight the psylla, if 

 not every year, at least every second or third. 

 The simplest remedy is whale oil soap, i lb. 

 in 5 gallons of water, as a winter or early 

 spring wash, to kill the old psyllas, which is 

 now hiding in the crevices. The kerosene 

 emulsion is also an effective remedy. 



PLUM CURCUIvIO. 



Most plum growers still rely upon jarring 

 for combating the curculio, but it is much 

 more costly than spraying with arsenites 



and possibly not more effective. The rea- 

 son of failure in the past appears to lie in 

 the weak poison used, for it has been de- 

 monstrated that stronger mixtures are quite 

 effective. Professor Slingerland advised 

 the use of arsenate of lead or disporene, of 

 which the strength is less variable. This 

 is not yet on common sale, but can be pur- 

 chased wholesale in New York City in 100 

 pound lots at about 10 cents a pound, and 

 since it requires about twice the quantity as 

 of Paris green, it is a little more expensive, 

 but this is more than offset by its greater 

 efficiency. This poison has been found not 

 only excellent in destroying curculio, but 

 also codling moth, and has the advantage of 

 remaining in suspension ten times as long as 

 Paris green. 



ROSE CHAEER. 



This insect has been very troublesome in 

 special districts, where the ground is sandy 

 and favorable for its transformation. In 

 some cases it not only attacks the rose 

 plants, but also fruit trees and even straw- 

 berry beds, and does great injury. In the 

 latter case early spring cultivation will de- 

 stroy the chafer as it is transforming in the 

 ground, and in the former, spraying with 

 disparene is recommended. 



LEAF HOPPERS. 



Leaf hoppers (or thrips) have been very 

 troublesome, particularly on rose and grape 

 vine leaves, but during the last year or two 

 there seems to be a decrease in their num- 

 bers, which we hope may continue. The 

 most effective mechanical method of de- 

 stroying them seems to be large wooden 

 trays on which tangle foot fly paper is at- 

 tached, carried along the sides of the vines 

 or bushes, and by these the hoppers are 

 caught when purposely disturbed. Spray- 

 ing with a solution of whale oil soap about 

 July 1st seems also to be effective, but must 

 be thoroughly applied, for it will kill only 

 those it hits. 



