134 FRUIT GROWING FOR AMATEURS 



away in their hands from the trees when touched, as though dead. 

 When these symptoms are found an examination will most 

 probably disclose a number of whitish-yellow insects clustered 

 around the footstalks of each flower, and from these exudes a 

 sticky fluid. The grower will then realise that his trees are suffer- 

 ing from a serious attack of Apple sucker. Spraying has been 

 advised to kill the egg-depositing females in the autumn. 



There are one or two washes on the market which if used 

 at the proper strength and unsparingly applied are quite efficient 

 against Apple suckers. Nicotine wash is deadly against this 

 enemy of fruit growers, but is extremely expensive. Still, for 

 a small number of trees the expense is not such a serious matter. 

 Used at proper strength nicotine has been found harmless to fruit 

 blossoms when open. If avoidable it should not be used at that 

 stage when there are bees working. If trees have been seriously 

 attacked a spraying of nicotine just before the blossoms open 

 a ad another immediately the petals have fallen will be found to 

 do more towards cleansing the trees than several sprayings 

 later when the insects are numerous and have probably done 

 serious damage. It is wise to use a caustic wash in winter. 



Apple Sawfly. The larvae of the Apple sawfly often make 

 sad work amongst crops of Apples, the loss of fruit in some cases 

 being very considerable. This pest is not always easily recog- 

 nised, as the injury caused by it to a great extent resembles 

 that resulting from the presence of the Codlin moth. The eggs 

 of the sawflies are deposited on the Apple blossom, and after an 

 interval of a few weeks young larvae hatch out, bore their way 

 into the fruit, and eat the inside. The larvae of the sawflies 

 enter the fruit from the side, whereas the larvae of the Codlin 

 moth enter through the eye and bore through the core. Aftei 

 a month or six weeks the grubs become fully fed and leave the 

 fruit and tree, and spin cocoons in the soil. The attacked Apples 

 rarely grow to any size and invariably fall off. All fallen fruit 

 eflid also fruit on the trees which is seen to have been attacked 

 should be destroyed, whilst the pupae resulting from the cocoons 

 in tne ground should be also destroyed by the application of a 

 soil fumigant. It is also advisable to dig and work the soil 

 under the trees to enable birds readily to get at the pupae which 

 may be exposed. A dressing of kainit will often be found to do 

 good. 



Apple Blossom Weevil. The grub of the Apple blossom 





