6 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



ern part of the State, though it was not so numerous as in 1908, 

 The blister mite continued its injuries of last season and in some 

 localities was much more prevalent, this being particularly true of 

 the Hudson valley. 



The San Jose scale continues to be one of the important pests 

 of the horticulturist though progressive fruit growers have little 

 difficulty in controlling it. The general experience with lime-sulfur 

 washes has been exceedingly satisfactory. A number of the com- 

 mercial preparations of this material have given excellent results. 

 Pruit growers are now beginning to use this wash in a more diluted 

 iorm as a summer spray for plant lice and fungous diseases. 



Codling moth. The codling moth is one of the most import- 

 ant enemies of the fruit grower. A series of practical experiments 

 were carried through the season for the purpose of ascertaining 

 the actual benefit resulting from the application of arsenical poisons, 

 and also the relative efficacy of insecticides applied with a coarse or 

 :a fine spray. These experiments were conducted in the orchard 

 of Mr W. H. Hart of Poughkeepsie and that of Mr Edward 

 VanAlstyne at Kinderhook, N. Y. Great pains were taken at the 

 outset to secure an infested orchard with an ample number of trees 

 likely to bear a nearly uniform amount of fruit. Each plot con- 

 sisted of 42 trees, the fruit from the central six alone being counted. 

 The o-hers were used as barriers to prevent the treatment of one 

 plot reacting upon the trees in another. These experiments in- 

 volved considerable labor, since three sprayings were given in the 

 case of the orchard at Poughkeepsie. It was furthermore neces- 

 sary to sort and classify over 100,000 apples in this orchard alone. 

 A reference to the data on a following page shows a most striking 

 difference between the fruit from the sprayed and the unsprayed 

 trees and indicates in no uncertain manner the supreme importance 

 of thorough work. 



Small fruits. The unusually severe injury by the grape blos- 

 som midge noted in 1908, was continued the past season though 

 the insect may not have been quit-e so prevalent throughout the 

 grape belt. The acre of early Moore grapes recorded as seriously 

 injured last year was badly damaged the past season. We were 

 fortunate enough in early spring to rear the adult, a fragile midge 

 which has hitherto escaped notice although the blighted blossom 

 buds have been common for several years. Owing to the delay m 

 issuing the report for 1908 it was possible to give, in that publica- 

 tion, a full account of the pest. 



