149 



trolling aphis. 



Red bugs are becoming increasingly abundant in New 

 York State and the same is jDrobably true of New England. 

 We have known of instances where half of the crops has been 

 seriously injured and a number of reports last summer indi- 

 cated a damage to twenty-five per cent, of the yield. The 

 work of these pests is most easily recognized by the reddish 

 spots — suggesting dusting with red pepper — on the young 

 leaves at the tips of the branches. The spots, as the leaves 

 develop, turn brown and in midsummer Ave may have the cen- 

 ter of the affected areas dropping out and in any event the 

 characteristic spots and crumpling persist throughout the 

 season even to the dropping of the foliage, consequently this 

 leaf damage affords one of the easiest methods of detecting 

 red bug in an orchard. The earliest evidence of injury to 

 the small apple is an exudation accompanied by local dis- 

 coloration and hardening. The young fruit is frequently 

 pierced to the core and as growth continues depressions with 

 pithy centers extending deep into the apple may be noted. 

 There is usually a marked irregularity in the shape of the 

 fruit and many of the most seriously injured apples are 

 dwarfed and drop about midsummer. 



The two species of red bug have practically identical 

 habits except that the eggs of the true red bug hatch soon 

 after the leaves of the fruit buds open while those of the false 

 red bug hatch about a week later. The delayed dormant 

 spray with nicotine added is just about right to catch the 

 young of the true red bug while those of the false red bug 

 may not be numerous until just as the blossoms are about to 

 drop and are therefore most easily destroyed as a rule by 

 adding nicotine to the calyx spray. In case of very badly 

 infested orchards, a special spraying with nicotine and soap 

 just before the blossoms open may be worth while. The 

 calyx or codling moth spray, the application made within a 

 week or ten days after the blossoms drop and preferably 

 early in this period, is the most important treatment the 

 apple grower givep and the one which should receive special 



