INSECT AND DISEASE CONTROL 



87 



skins or breathing apparatus are the only effective remedies for them. 

 Such being the case, except where gas is used, each individual bug must 

 be hit with the insecticide or it will continue to feed as unconcernedly 

 as if no spraying at all had been done. But here's a reassuring thing: 

 The amateur is likely to do better spraying of the plants he owns than is 

 the hireling on a big fruit plantation, and by being on the qui vive for 

 attacks the work is likely to be done at the proper time. 



In a book of this kind space is not available to discuss either the 

 common insects or diseases. What is more to the point is a brief 

 presentation of the means of control. Should any reader wish to 

 identify insects that interest or give him trouble he should send a few 

 living specimens, with some of the food, plant in a wooden or metal box, 

 to the "Entomologist," at the Experiment Station, or Department of 

 Agriculture at Washing- 

 ton. Inside the box he 

 should place his name 

 and address, and in a 

 letter sent separately de- 

 scribe the work of the 

 creatures, name the plant 

 they are feeding upon, 

 and ask such advice and 

 information as he may 

 need. 



In a general way 

 plant diseases may be 

 grouped as physiological, 

 bacterial and fungOUS. F ^ 68. -After the petals fall and while the sepals 

 -. * . i are pen is the time to spray Apples and Pears for 



Fortunately, many of the coddling moth 



first are preventable, or 



even curable, by good cultural care. Yellowish foliage and puny 

 twig growth usually indicate lack of nitrogen. Unfortunately, the 

 other groups of maladies cannot be as simply dealt with as can the 

 two classes of bugs. Spraying must be preventive: the spray material 

 must be on the leaf before the disease would normally make a start. 



The hints given concerning fungicides will cover the majority of 

 cases, but where results are not satisfactory write and send specimens 

 to the "Plant Pathologist" at the Experiment Station, or the Department 

 of Agriculture. One notable exception is the blight of Pears, Quince 

 and Apple, a bacterial disease worst on the Pear. This appears first 

 in the Spring as brown leaves among the green. It spreads down the 

 twigs to the branches and even the trunks. Every week from the 

 time the flowers appear the trees should be inspected and the diseased 



