Circular No. 6. May 1907 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



THE LECANIUMS, OR SOFT SCALES. 



BY C. E. HOOD, B. S. 



Scale insects of this group abound everywhere, and are found on 

 almost all kinds of plants, both in hothouses and in the open air. 

 They are known to gardeners under the general name of soft scales. 

 The five most common kinds in this state are the Apricot scale, Ahw 

 ^ork Plum scale, Terrapin scale, Tulip scale -am^ the Hemispherical scale. 



THE APRICOT SCALE. 



Eulecariimn armeniacum (Craw). 



This scale acquired its name because of the ravages it commits 

 among the apricot orchards of California, but in the East it is more 

 prone to attack the plum and grape, although it has been found 

 feeding on the pear, prune, cherry, gooseberry and hackberry. 



The adult female scale is yellowish brown and a little over one- 

 eighth of an inch long and later appears to be covered with a powdery 

 or cottony material. The eggs are laid inside the horny skin or 

 shell of the mother and this becomes really a basket for holding 

 the eggs until they hatch in July. After emerging from the egg the 

 young wander about for a few hours and then select places to settle 

 down, usually on the under side of the leaves near the large veins. 

 Here they remain until the latter part of August when they migrate 

 back to the twigs before the leaves fall and remain there for the 

 rest of their lives. 



During the winter and early spring they are quite small and not 

 protected by any hard, horny shell, so this is the favorite time for 

 spraying. The leaves having fallen, the surface to be sprayed is at 

 a minimum, and the scales themselves are crowded together as much 

 as they ever will be. 



Spraying in winter with kerosene emulsion is a very effective 

 method. To make the emulsion, thoroughly dissolve one-half pound 

 hard soap, or whale-oil soap, in one gallon of boiling water. While 

 this solution is still very hot add two gallons of kerosene and quickly 

 begin to churn the whole mass, drawing the liquid into the pump 



