NURSERY AND ORCHARD INSECT PESTS 17 



they fly to the apple tree to feed and deposit eggs. During the summer in 

 Missouri this species develops three or four broods usually increasing in abun- 

 dance towards fall. Besides apple it also breeds on and injures the foliage and 

 young growth of Norway and hard Maples as well as certain vegetables. 



In Missouri the rose leaf-hopper (Empea rosea) seldom attracts attention 

 in the nursery but is very abundant toward the close of the season on bearing 

 apple trees. This fall (1920) the pest was so abundant in orchards in central 

 Missouri that much of the apple foliage was badly injured and the air was 

 often so full of the adult hoppers that they annoyed one working in or passing 

 thru the orchard. 



This species is creamy white to light yellow in color with a tinge of orange 

 on the face of the male. It passes the winter in the egg stage under the bark 

 of apple and rose. It is also multiple brooded and is most abundant in late fall. 



CONTROL. Tn the nursery, leaf-hoppers may be controlled with a fair de- 

 gree of success by using a large trap including sticky shields for catching the 

 adults as well as the older nymphs. In this state spraying with nicotine solu- 

 tion or oil emulsions have not proven to be practical on any large scale. One 

 thorough application of a contact spray to control the first brood of nymphs 

 in the spring will reduce later injury but a trap with sticky shields can be run 

 more economically and effectively and where used by nurserymen it has re- 

 placed the use of sprays. 



In the orchard spraying is usually unnecessary and at best not very ef- 

 fective. Thorough destruction of the overwintering adults of the apple leaf- 

 hopper where they collect in grass and other protection is a more practical 

 check on this species. This is not effective against the rose leaf-hopper, how- 

 ever, since it passes the winter as the egg under the bark. Fortunately the rose 

 leaf-hopper becomes alarmingly abundant only toward fall when its injury to 

 foliage is less important. 



Tarnished Plant-bug (Lygus pratensis), This pest is one of the most im- 

 portant pests of budded nursery stock. It does injury in the orchard, too, but 

 its most prominent injury is in the nursery. It is a world- wide pest of various 

 crops and plants and is a most difficult pest to completely control. 



In the nursery the injury is done early in the spring when the overwinter- 

 ing adults suck sap from and blight the young buds and growth. Peaches are 

 especially subject to their attack tho cherry, pear and other stock also suffer. 

 The insect is multiple brooded and lives thru the winter in rubbish as the adult 

 winged bug. Typical "stop-back," "bush-head" and other similar injury to nurs- 

 ery stock is largely the work of this pest. Often entire blocks of nursery 

 stock are so attacked that few or no trees of marketable grade may be saved. 

 Hundreds of acres of nursery stock are damaged every year by this pest. 



CONTROL. This pest breeds primarily on weeds in or near the nursery and 

 passes the winter in rubbish near the nursery. The first treatment to consider, 

 therefore, is clean culture in the nursery and make sure that draws, fence rows 

 and neighboring fields do not serve as breeding places for this pest. Then 

 make sure that all harboring places are burned over or plowed under during 

 the late fall or winter. This will prevent much of the danger. 



When the pest begins its destructive work on the trees in the spring sys- 

 tematic driving or heavy rains or other means of driving the pest from the 

 trees will check injury. If the injury does not occur until growth has well 



