144 ORCHARD INSECTS 



one often hears some intelligent orchard man recommend the use 

 of Bordeaux mixture for the tent-caterpillar, or condemn arsenate 



of lead because it did not kill the aphis. 







APPLE INSECTS 



The following list comprises those insects which the apple 

 grower has to reckon with year in and year out. Of course 

 they do not all come in any one season, but he has to be on the 

 watch for them, and when they do come they make serious 

 trouble. They are arranged roughly in the order of their im- 

 portance, though seasons, localities and even varieties influence 

 this point. 



The San Jose scale and the codling moth are rivals for first 

 place on the list of the apple grower's insect troubles. Either 

 one is bad enough but the scale is considered first because of its 

 ability in actually killing the trees. In its damage to the fruit 

 itself the codling moth is far in the lead, for a wormy apple is 

 seriously damaged, while the apple with scale on it is not hurt 

 much for cooking and even for eating raw, a few scales will not 

 particularly affect the flavor. 



There are three things which make the scale an insect specially 

 dreaded by the orchardist. 



Inconspicuous. The first of these is its inconspicuous char- 

 acter. Unless the owner is very familiar with it, the first notice 

 he has of its presence on the tree may be the dying of some of 

 the branches. An insect which is spectacular in its attack, such 

 as the tent-caterpillar or the fall web-worm, has little chance of 

 escaping notice. But the San Jose scale is so small, and looks so 

 much like the bark of the tree, that even one who is entirely 

 familiar with it may go by an affected tree day after day and 

 never notice it. The writer confesses with chagrin that he has 

 proved this point in his own garden. 



Breeds Rapidly. The second difficulty in combating the 

 scale is the fact that it breeds continuously and rapidly through- 

 out the season. Beginning some time in the late spring or early 

 summer, at a date varying with the locality, the young scales are 



