52 TENTH BIENNIAL REPORT 



The woolly aphis is found most commonly in the fall about apple 

 picking time when the white masses are present on the tender shoots, 

 in cracks and on injured parts of the trees. While it is hard to control 

 the woolly aphis it can be kept down to a reasonable extent by spray- 

 ing with tobacco solution, using high pressure so that the liquid will 

 penetrate through the woolly covering to the insects themselves. 

 The inspectors in visiting the orchards the past year found that the 

 apple scab, ^vhich had proved most troublesome in other years, did 

 not appear to any degree. This was probably due to the early 

 spraying and to the hot, dry season. There was evidently not 

 enough moisture for the spores to germinate. Although there was 

 practically no scab the past season it is liable to appear next summer 

 should, the spring prove to be wet. All orchardists should prepare 

 to spray next year in order to keep the scab down. With the ab- 

 sence of the scab the past year proper spraying should easily con- 

 trol it this coming season. 



The cherry slug is another pest which is becoming more and 

 more prevalent. Numbers of cherry trees were almost defoliated 

 by it. The tree naturally is weakened and the fruit does not develop 

 normally. In many cases the tree is* weakened for the succeeding 

 season. The arsenate of lead spray will control the slug and should 

 be applied as soon as they begin to appear. 



The State Fair. 



The annual horticultural exhibit at the State Fair at Helena draws 

 largely from the Bitter Root valley for display fruit. Last year 

 the apple display, although the Fair was held the second week in 

 September, was* very creditable to the state. Display boxes of all the 

 standard varieties lined the racks on both sides of the hall and through 

 the center. The size, quality and color were excellent. Seldom, if 

 ever before, had there been such a large collection of perfect specimens 

 of apples. It is to the fruit growers of the Bitter Root that the 

 State Fair and the State Board of Horticulture are indebted for this 

 excellent display. Hard work, untiring efforts and close co-opera- 

 tion alone has made the fruit display at the State Fair possible. 



