MONTANA STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE 



51 



and replaced by more desirable varieties. There was a considerable 

 setting of strawberry plants this last spring. 



The main insect pests and diseases in the season of 1918 in the 

 order of their importance were the blister mite, bud moth, woolly aphis, 

 cherry slug and scab. 



The blister mite was quite prominent in some of the young orch- 



A good spraying outfit is the most necessary special orchard machinery. 



ards as well as in the older orchards. It seems that in most cases where 

 it was not controlled the spray was put on too late, the mite having al- 

 ready burrowed into the leaf. A strong lime-sulphur spray early in 

 the spring, just as the buds start to swell, will control the insect. When 

 once under control a dormant lime-sulphur application every other 

 year should keep the orchard practically free from this pest. 



The work of the bud moth could be found quite generally the 

 past year. It destroyed many fruit buds, but its work was not great 

 enough to have any material effect on the set of fruit. It can be con- 

 trolled easily by spraying with arsenate of lead, two pounds to fifty 

 gallons of water. This spray may be combined with the first two scab 

 sprays. i 



