THE NOETH DAKOTA FAEMSTEAD 



which is soft, weak, and white, is commercially used for woodenware 

 and paper pulp. The cottony maple scale is a very serious pest of 

 this tree in many parts of the state. This fact, together with its in- 

 feriority for shade and timber, to several other kinds of trees, is 

 reason against its being so largely planted as in the past. Be sure 

 that the Box Elder trees to be planted were raised from seed from 

 a tree growing in the North. 



The cottony maple scale is *a very serious pest of Box Elder 

 trees in many sections of the state and is being spread to uninfested 

 areas by birds. It frequently attacks Soft Maple and Virginia 

 Creeper. It is detected by the cottony-like mass secreted by the 

 females in the early summer. Soon after this, the eggs are laid and 

 can be found lodged in immense numbers in this cottony mass. The 

 young hatch as small brown larvae that soon change to scale insects, 

 which infest the young twigs and leaves. They do not secrete a 

 cottony mass until the next summer, so that the cottony material on 

 the trees over winter is that of the old females, then dead, who have 

 done their damage. The damage is done by the insects sucking the 

 sap from the young twigs thus choking the leaves. 



One of the treatments for this insect is to cut out all the infested 

 twigs as soon as they are found and burn them. If this is not desirable 

 the trees can be sprayed while the leaves are off the trees, with some 

 insecticide that will kill the insect by coming in contact with it. 

 Spraying materials recommended as satisfactorily controlling this pest 

 are crude oil, sometimes sold as "insecticide oil"; whale oil and fish 

 oil soap solutions ; and kerosene emulsion. Whatever material is used, 

 it should be applied as a fine mist and care should be taken that all 

 the young twigs are covered with the solution, as there the insects are 

 found. For large trees a barrel pump or other high pressure spray out- 

 fit should be used. This can be mounted on a wagon on which there 

 might also be a raised platform from which a man with the spray 

 nozzle on a long rod could reach the upper parts of the tree and spray 

 more thoroughly, by covering the twigs with solution on all sides. A 

 clear sunny day in late fall or early spring while the trees are dormant' 

 and when the solution will not freeze on the trees will be the best time. 



SUGAR MAPLE (Acer saccharum}. The Sugar Maple, Rock or 

 Hard Maple, one of the most valued hardwood trees, is a native to 

 a small part of North Dakota (Bolley and L. R. Waldron, N. D. Bui. 

 46 ). Under most favorable conditions it reaches a height of 100 

 to 120 feet. It is very ornamental and excellent for shade. It is a 

 fairly rapid grower in moist soils. Its leaves turn to a beautiful 

 yellow and red in fall and hold on for a long time. The wood which 

 is reddish brown, close grained, tough and hard, is extensively used for 

 flooring, interior furnishing, furniture, farm repairs, shoe lasts and 

 boats, and as fuel it is surpassed only by hickory. It is the most 

 dependable, most valuable and longest lived of all the maples in 

 localities where it is hardy. It is very satisfactory as one of the 

 permanent trees in the windbreak or woodlot. It does well in the 

 southeastern part of the state and will probably succeed in all parts of 



