late summer and fall and thus a heavy overvTintering population may occur in that 

 area. Brushy hedgerovfs and the edges of woodlands are usually vrell populated 

 iTith hibernating adults. Therefore, one should think about the location of the 

 stravberry planting rrith respect to these conditions. Either locate the planting 

 away from such areas or else control the grovrth of vegetation favorable to the 

 Plant Bug. . 



Insecticides, used as individual strawberry buds separate from the cluster and 

 again as the earliest blossoms open, will control Plant Bugs. DDT and several other 

 insecticides are very effective against these and Spittle Bugs also. DDT and some 

 related materials have one disadvantage which is important to consider. Their 

 use in one or two applications just previous to bloom may result in a rapid buildup 

 of the Tv:o-Spotted Hite or Red Spider, Plantings have been observed ■vtiere the 

 damage from Two-spotted Ilite vras actually greater than that which might have been 

 done by the insects being controlled. For that reason I would urge that -rtien 

 either DDT or methoxychlor is used on strawberries that it be combined vd.th sulfur. 

 Sulfur is fairly effective in checking buildup of Tivo-Spotted Mite on strav;berrieSo 

 A suitable formula for a dust might be one containing % DDT or methoxychlor and 

 from 75^ to 95^ dusting sulfur. As a spray, for each 100 gallons of vra,ter use 2 

 pounds of 50^ wettable powders of DDT or methoxychlor along with 5 or 6 pounds 

 of a dry-wettable sulfur. Use proportionate amounts in smaller quantities of v/ater. 

 Malathion dusts and wettable powder sprays give fair to good control of Plant Bugs 

 and also control the mites. They may be used along vdth DDT or methoxychlor as 

 in "General-Purpose" mixtures. 



Other effective materials will be found listed in the 19^6 Pest Control Chart 

 for Strawberries which is now available from your Cooperative Extension Service, 



E, H. Vifheeler 



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STRATfBERIg NUBBINS 



The importance of pests and flower position in nubbin production have already 

 been presented by Dr, \Jheeler and Dr, Lord elsewhere in this issue. Other factors 

 such as spring frost, cold wet weather and the nutritional status vdthin the flower 

 stalk also may be responsible for the formation of nubbins. 



Spring frost may operate in one of three ways: It may (l) kill the anthers 

 thereby reducing the supply of pollen; (2) injure the styles causing imperfect 

 fertilization of the embryos; or (3) kill a part of the embryos even after fertil- 

 ization has taken place. 



Cold rainy weather may reduce the supply of pollen. It may also interfere 

 with the flight of pollenating insects and retard pollen tube grovrth enough to 

 reduce the number of embryos that are fertilized. 



Small and imperfect leaves caused by drought, inadequate fertility in the 

 soil, or any other factor may result in siraller fruit size. Furthermore, pistil 

 fertility has been found to be less in blossoms from lateral crovms of a plant 

 than in those blossoms originating from the central crovm, 



A. P, French 



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