8o NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



followed by comparatively cool weather, accompanied by a slow 

 developm.ent of the leaves and flowers, a condition favorable for 

 severe damage by any insects which might have gained entrance 

 to the buds during the warm weather. 



The suddenness of attack by this insect is shown by the con- 

 ditions observed in the orchard of Mr M. C. Albright at Athens 

 April 17th. At this time there was a rather general infestation, the 

 blossom buds had started a little and the thrips were making their 

 way down into the center of the buds. It was easy to find blossom 

 buds here and there on the lower branches with one to two or three 

 thrips, and near the top of the trees, blossom buds with four to five 

 insects endeavoring to enter were not at all uncommon. The pests 

 were noticed for the first time, according to Mr Albright, on the i6th, 

 and weather conditions were such that it woiild hardly seem as 

 though they could have issued much earlier. This orchard, so 

 far as known, was not injured to any extent by thrips the preceding 

 year. 



, The sudden appearance of large numbers of the thrips is also borne 

 out by conditions observed in the afternoon of the 17 th in the pear 

 orchard of Mr Robert McHench at Clarksville. This orchard lay 

 at a considerably higher elevation, the difference between the Athens 

 and Clarksville orchards being approximately 800 feet. The pear 

 buds in the latter orchard were just beginning to start and there was 

 no evidence of thrips above ground, though a few of the insects were 

 observed in a pear orchard near the village of Clarksville and at a 

 lower elevation, probably about 700 feet. 



On April 24th the trees in this orchard had started perceptibly 

 and in not a few instances two to four or even six thrips were to be 

 found in the buds. The insects are able to make their way down 

 among the bud tissues even when there is comparatively little break- 

 ing or spreading of the bud scales at the tips. Spraying was in 

 progress at this time, a thin lime wash composed of 75 to 80 pounds 

 of lime to 100 gallons of water, to which three-fourths of a pint of 

 black leaf 40 was added, being used. Dead thrips were to be seen 

 on the treated trees. The branches and wood were rather thickly 

 covered with a lime wash, though the buds for the most part were not 

 satisfactorily protected. The lime wash did not seem to adhere with 

 any degree of thoroughness to the bud tissues after the scales had 

 commenced to spread to some extent, though those which had 

 hardly started at all were fairly well covered on one side, the other 

 not being thoroughly protected and indicating a somewhat deficient 

 spraying. The treatment in this orchard was delayed a little later 



