104 BIGGIE ORCHARD BOOK 



Pear-tree psylla : A tiny, jumping louse, yellowish 

 in color, that attacks tender leaves and shoots, causing 

 them to droop and exude sap or honey dew, which 

 condition soon attracts flies and ants to the feast. 

 Entire orchards have sometimes been ruined, in a few 

 years, by this pest. Remedies: Lime-sulphur, or 

 kerosene emulsion, sprayed on the trees early in 

 spring before buds swell ; followed by tobacco solution 

 sprays in May or June. 



San Jose scale louse : See Chapter VIII. 



Scurfy scale louse : See Chapter VIII. 



Slug : The pear-tree slug is about half an inch, or 

 less, in length when full grown ; darkish color ; slimy 

 appearance. It eats the upper portion of leaves. This 

 pest comes from eggs laid by a black fly. There are 

 two broods of the slugs, one in late June or early 

 July, and another in August. Remedies : Almost any 

 of the standard sprays will kill slugs ; in fact, they are 

 very easily destroyed. A simple remedy would be 

 two ounces of fresh white hellebore steeped in one gal- 

 lon of water and sprayed on leaves when slugs are 

 there. Or arsenate of lead would do. Or, fine dry 

 road-dust or air-slaked lime, thrown or blown into the 

 trees, will kill every slug it covers. 



PRINCIPAL FUNGOUS PESTS. Leaf-blight: This 

 very common and serious disease produces, on the 

 leaves in the spring, reddish spots ; these gradually 

 enlarge and turn brown, until all or a large part of 

 each affected leaf appears dark and dead. Badly 

 injured leaves soon drop off, and in this way the 

 trees may lose most or all of their foliage which 

 .gives them a bad setback. The fungus also attacks 



