FRUITS 221 



is apt to be a rather serious pest and is frequently 

 introduced on the roots of young trees from the 

 nursery. Such trees should never be planted. This 

 trouble may be partially cured by removing the soil 

 from the roots and applying a liberal application of 

 ground tobacco stems and again covering with dirt. 



Everything considered, the codling moth is the 

 most serious pest of the apple. This is a small brown 

 moth that lays an egg in the calyx of the young apple 

 just after the flower falls. The egg soon hatches 

 into a minute grub that bores down into the fruit, 

 usually working in or near the core. Such wormy 

 apples are, of course, worthless for market. The stand- 

 ard remedy is to spray thoroughly with Paris green, 

 just after the flowers fall, and before the young 

 fruits get heavy enough to turn down. If a drop of the 

 poison spray chances to lodge in the calyx, the Paris 

 green will remain there and kill the young grub as it 

 tries to eat its way into the interior. 



Two sprayings should be given at intervals of a 

 week or ten days and the work should be done as 

 thoroughly as possible in order to make sure that 

 each apple receives its drop of poisonous liquid. 



Another very serious apple trouble is the fungous 

 disease known as scab (^Fusicladium). This forms 

 brown, unsightly blotches on the fruits and seriously 

 injures their keeping qualities. It also attacks the 

 leaves and the young twigs. The fungus which has 

 wintered over on the twigs becomes active early in 

 the spring, and if the weather is damp and rainy at 

 blooming time, it may cause the blasting of the flower 

 clusters and prevent the setting of fruit. Thorough 



