THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 121 



inch long, bores into twigs or small branches and sooner or later causes 

 their death. None of these borers are very harmful on the pear in New 

 York, but all must be reckoned with occasionally. All are difficult to 

 control. 



The pear thrips attack the newly opening flower- and leaf-buds and 

 when the insect, a small winged creature with sucking mouth-parts, is 

 abundant much damage is done. This pest in New York is chiefly confined 

 to the Hudson River Valley. The European grain aphis, closely related 

 to the destructive apple aphis, ,- s sometimes a serious pest on pears. Both 

 of these pests are comparatively easily controlled by timely applications 

 of contact insecticides. 



Lastly, there are several chewing insects which feed on the leaves of 

 the pear, which, unless checked, sometimes become major pests for a .season 

 or two in an orchard here and there. All of them, fortunately, are controlled 

 by the arsenical poisons which are necessary to keep the codling moth down. 

 The pests are: Cigar case-bearer, green fruit worm, pistol case-bearer, and 

 oblique-banded leaf-roller. With these, as with most of the other pests 

 of the pear, cultivation to keep down all foreign vegetation, and orchard 

 sanitation, consisting chiefly of the destruction of infested fruit, foliage, or 

 wood, are essential preventives. 



