APPLES 



401 



|iioi)eiiy cure up for the winter, thus pre- 

 venting to a large extent winter injury. 



Pests on Yoiiug: Trees in XorOi Central 



Wasliiugrton 



Cnt Worms and AVeevils 



Cut worms and weevils are among the 

 worst pests on young trees in this dis- 

 trict They may be controlled absolutely 

 by paper cone protectors made of two ply 

 glazed paper. The shape of the paper 

 when cut is that of a triangle with the 

 peak cut square off. The size varies with 

 larger trees, but for young trees the pa- 

 pers are cut six inches across the top; 

 eleven inches across the bottom and sev- 

 en inches high. Two of these are stuck 

 together with a band of tree tangle foot 

 across the paper. In this manner a man 

 can take a large quantity of protectors in 

 a basket. The paper when folded around 

 the tree makes a cone with a band of 

 tangle foot around on the inside of the 

 cone. This protector makes it impossible 

 for a cutworm or weevil to get up the 

 tree and eat out the buds. A pin is stuck 

 through the top of the cone and a small 

 piece of paper adhesive tape is stuck 

 across the bottom; these hold the cone 

 in perfect shape and prevent any binding 

 on the tree. It Is a very serious injury 

 and often absolutely ruinous to young 

 trees to have the buds eaten out two or 

 three times before the tree makes a 

 growth. By this method of control these 

 pests can be perfectly and inexpensively 

 held in check. Where there are cutworms 

 and no weevils and the condition is not 

 bad enough to require protectors, cut- 

 worms are often controlled with poison 

 bait made of bran, syrup and zinc ar- 

 senlte. 



Woolly Aphis 



The object in mentioning woolly aphis 

 is to urge the growing of tobacco to help 

 in the control of this pest. I think this 

 can be done in most of the fruit growing 

 districts in the Northwest. The woolly 

 aphis must be killed both on the tree and 

 on the roots in the ground, in order to 

 make a thorough job of it. They can be 

 killed on the tree by spraying with crude 

 oil or Black Leaf 40. To kill them in the 

 ground throw the dirt back from the 



crown of the tree and spray the roots 

 with tree spray, then put two pounds 

 or more of tobacco stems and leaves 

 around the trunk of the tree just above 

 where the roots join the trunk. This 

 tobacco prevents the woolly aphis from 

 going up or down from top to root or 

 from root to top. The result is that the 

 aphis are killed off the roots. This meth- 

 od has heretofore been impractical be- 

 cause the tobacco stems and leaves had 

 to be shipped from the tobacco growing 

 states, and the quality could not be de- 

 pended upon. But by growing our own 

 tobacco this problem is solved, and the 

 control of the woolly aphis becomes com- 

 paratively inexpensive and easy. 



Greeu A|ihis 



Green Aphis should be killed off from 

 the young trees. This is done by spray- 

 ing with Black Leaf 40 as soon as they 

 appear and whenever they appear. 

 Borers 



The flathead apple tree borer does con- 

 siderable damage on newly planted trees. 

 This pest may be controlled by paper 

 cones made of magazine leaves. Simply 

 take the leaf of paper, fold down the cor- 

 ner, make a cone around the tree; fit 

 the cone tightly at the top and put a pin 

 in to hold it; never use a string or wire 

 as this may girdle the tree. Bury the 

 bottom of the cone about an inch in the 

 ground; this cone prevents the mother 

 beetle from laying her eggs on the tree 

 just at the surface of the ground, and the 

 young borers can not get into the tree. 

 After the tree makes one good growth 

 there is then very little danger of borer 

 damage. 



Gopliers 



In addition to trapping and poisoning 

 gophers, we have had considerable suc- 

 cess catching them in pits dug in the or- 

 chard. These pits are dug six to eight 

 feet deep and two or three feet across. 

 Sometimes poisoned raisins with anise oil 

 on them are put in the pits. Anise oil at- 

 tracts all rodents. Whether the anise oil 

 is put in the pits or not, a great many 

 gophers fall in and die, being unable to 

 get out. 



R. Edward Trumble 



