REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I915 81 



than desirable, owing to the difficulty of securing the spray materials 

 and the necessary help. We believe that better results from the 

 application of the lime wash would be obtained if the spraying is 

 done before the buds have started appreciably, and under most 

 conditions this would be comparatively easy, though last spring it 

 was far from the case, due to the unusually early warm weather. 



No other treatment was given in this orchard for pear thrips and 

 the trees developed an exceptionally full bloom and set a large crop 

 of fruit. This latter was reduced to some extent by an abnormally 

 late drop which may have been caused by thrip injury to the stems, 

 though subsequent observations showed a m.oderately severe psylla 

 infestation in the orchard. 



In addition to this injury, serious damage was observed in pear 

 orchards at Milton and at Bangall. In the former the insects 

 appeared in large, nrunbers and nearly destroyed the Seckel bloom 

 and there was serious injury to the Seckels at Bangall in spite of an 

 early spraying with tobacco, due probably to the treatment being 

 given a little too late. At the time of examination May 6th, white 

 nymphs were rather numerous on one or two of the trees. 



The developments of the past season have shown that a thick 

 whitewash such as that mentioned above, is a valuable protective 

 in warding off thrips attack, though the spraying should be done 

 before the buds have started to any appreciable extent. Spraying 

 with a tobacco extract, 40 per cent nicotine, is the best that can be 

 advised for the destruction of the insects after they have appeared, 

 and the notes given above emphasize the advisability of having 

 everything in readiness so that the spraying can be done just as soon 

 as the insects appear in numbers. Apparently they need only a little 

 time in which to establish themselves within the buds, where they are 

 comparatively safe from any application. It is practical, if many 

 of the insects have escaped this first contact application, to spray 

 just as soon as the young pears have separated sufficiently so that 

 the insects at the base of the fruit stems are exposed, and a special 

 effort should be made to drive the insecticide into all crevices of the 

 fruit clusters. A third treatment with tobacco may be advisable 

 after the blossoms fall, for the purpose of destroying the young 

 insects. Four to 6 pounds of soap should be added to the tobacco 

 preparation if the latter is not used with any other insecticide, to 

 facilitate spreading, since this greatly increases the efficiency of 

 the treatment. 



Pear psylla (Psylla pyricola Forst.). This insect main- 

 tains itself as a serious pest in many pear orchards in the Hudson 



