MUSSEL SCALE 61 



Lord Suffield, Ribston Pippin, Peasgood's Nonsuch, and 

 Dumelow's Seedling, are extremely liable to canker, the 

 direct cause of which is the fungus known as Nectria 

 ditissima. 



The Mussel Scale is a small, silvery-looking insect 

 which lives under a shell-like covering. It is often prevalent 

 on Apples, especially in dry soils, or on Apples and Pears 

 grown on walls. An application of Blight Cure will check 

 them, and if this does not complete the remedy, they may 

 be stifled by an application of sweet oil, which closes their 

 breathing apparatus. After this has been done, scrub the 

 trees with soft soap or Gishurst Compound, and the bark 

 will then become healthy and allow the boughs to swell. 



Apple Sucker. The female of the Apple Sucker lays 

 its eggs in the buds of Apples just before they open into 

 bloom, and it can be found where these buds adhere 

 together as a big-headed green bug, almost transparent. 

 It soon grows and eats the productive organs of the flowers, 

 so that although the blossoms may appear to be perfect, 

 they lack the female organs and are incapable of developing 

 into fruit. The only way to check this pest is to spray the 

 trees at this period of the unfolding of the flower-buds 

 with M'Dougall's Wash. 



Mildew. A superficial mildew on the shoots should be 

 treated with sulphur, but as mildew is most common in 

 autumn, such affected shoots can often be cut off and 

 burnt. 



Unfertility. Unfertility in Apples may be caused by 

 the trees, in a young state, making too much wood, whether 

 brought about by overfeeding or by such hard pruning as 

 is conducive to excessive growth. The remedy for this is 



