24 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 176 



cies breeds largely in stone fruits, injury to apples can be greatly reduced if 

 peaches, plums and cherries are not planted in or near the apple orchard. 



San Jose Scale. As previously mentioned, the scale settles on the fruit 

 as well as on the foliage and the timber of the tree. The crop on scaly trees 

 may be practically ruined. Its market value is reduced and the quality of the 

 fruit is also injured. If remedial measures previously discussed are applied to 

 protect the tree the fruit will also be protected. The dormant spray is neces- 

 sary as the summer sprays are too weak to control the pest to any extent. 



Plant Lice (Spp.). When the plant lice are abundant on buds, foliage 

 and twigs at blooming time and soon thereafter the young fruit is also sure 

 to suffer. The lice sucking sap from the young 'fruits cause a dwarfing or com- 

 plete check in its normal growth. This. reduces the yield as well as quality. If 

 necessary sprays to protect foliage and growth are applied, the fruit also will 

 be protected. 



Lesser Apple Worm (Hnormonia prunivora). This small caterpillar 

 somewhat resembles the real apple worm, tho it is smaller and usually of a 

 deeper pink color. It feeds just under the skin of the fruit producing a mined- 

 like effect. Its life cycle and feeding habits are quite similar to those of the 

 apple worm and the regular spray applications for the latter will control it as. 

 well. For the past several years in Missouri this pest has been of comparatively 

 little importance. 



Apple Curculio (Anthonomus quadrigibbus) . This snout beetle, may 

 become, very destructive to apples, tho as a rule it is the work of the plum 

 curculio that causes most damage in Missouri. Its life cycle is similar to that of 

 the plum curculio except that it seems to enter hibernation quarters earlier and 

 thereby does less injury to the fruit by feeding in the summer and fall. It 

 makes a small circular opening in the surface of the fruit and hollows out below 

 in the flesh of the young apple a cylindrical egg cavity. The surrounding tissue 

 then hardens, causing a characteristic deformity of the fruit. 



CONTROL. Spray applications help some as with the plum curculio but 

 they must be supplemented with clean orchard practices and prompt disposal 

 of infested windfall apples early in the season. 



Other Fruit-feeding Caterpillars (Spp.). Some seasons green and 

 ripening apples are more or less injured by different caterpillars. The green 

 fruit worms and the apple leaf-roller are often quite troublesome. They may 

 eat rounded holes in the fruit or irregular gashes about the stem or blossom 

 end. Where a regular system of summer sprays, including an arsenical, is ap- 

 plied year after year, these caterpillars do little damage. 



INSECT PESTS OF THE PEAR 



In Missouri the pear is attacked by only a few of the worst pear pests. 

 San Jose scale, codling moth, curculio, and blight are most commonly com- 

 plained of on pear. Pear slug may do considerable damage but pear psylla and 

 blister mite are seldom of serious consequences. The discussions 'on apple in- 

 sects covers also pear injury and a separate discussion is unnecessary here. 



In the nursery do not grow pear trees near old blighted trees and do not 

 permit wild haws to stand in or near the pear blocks. Pear trees should be 

 carefully gone over so that all trees which may show the least signs of blight 

 are detected and thrown out. 



