﻿48 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Blister 
  mite 
  (Eriophyes 
  pyri 
  Nal.). 
  The 
  blister 
  mite 
  is 
  

   widely 
  distributed 
  in 
  western 
  New 
  York 
  and 
  has 
  also 
  been 
  found 
  

   in 
  several 
  places 
  in 
  the 
  Hudson 
  valley. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  especially 
  

   destructive 
  the 
  past 
  season 
  to 
  apple 
  trees, 
  being 
  so 
  abundant 
  upon 
  

   the 
  foliage 
  at 
  South 
  Byron 
  early 
  in 
  June 
  as 
  to 
  give 
  many 
  trees 
  a 
  

   brownish 
  appearance 
  when 
  viewed 
  from 
  a 
  distance. 
  Many 
  of 
  the 
  

   badly 
  infested 
  leaves 
  dropped 
  later 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  is 
  true 
  of 
  orchards 
  

   in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Albion. 
  In 
  some 
  instances 
  at 
  least 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  

   leaves 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  destroyed 
  by 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  this 
  pest. 
  The 
  

   characteristic 
  blister 
  of 
  this 
  form 
  is 
  easily 
  distinguished 
  by 
  its 
  

   peculiar, 
  raised, 
  spongy, 
  brick-red 
  appearance. 
  The 
  venation 
  dis- 
  

   appears 
  in 
  the 
  affected 
  area 
  and 
  furthermore, 
  there 
  is 
  almost 
  in- 
  

   variably 
  a 
  small, 
  round 
  hole 
  near 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  blister. 
  These 
  

   blisters 
  may 
  occur 
  singly 
  or 
  in 
  groups 
  and 
  frequently 
  fuse 
  to 
  form 
  

   irregular, 
  reddish 
  brown 
  blotches 
  which 
  eventually 
  may 
  include 
  a 
  

   considerable 
  proportion 
  of 
  the 
  leaf. 
  Inasmuch 
  as 
  the 
  mites 
  spend 
  

   most 
  of 
  their 
  time 
  within 
  the 
  leaves, 
  it 
  is 
  impractical 
  to 
  attempt 
  any 
  

   remedial 
  measures 
  during 
  the 
  summer. 
  The 
  pest 
  winters 
  under 
  

   the 
  bud 
  scales 
  and 
  at 
  such 
  times 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  destroyed 
  in 
  large 
  num- 
  

   bers 
  by 
  spraying 
  with 
  a 
  lime-sulfur 
  wash 
  or 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  miscible 
  or 
  

   so 
  called 
  '* 
  soluble 
  " 
  oils. 
  An 
  application 
  of 
  a 
  lime-sulfur 
  wash 
  is 
  

   in 
  our 
  judgment 
  preferable, 
  since 
  there 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  slightest 
  danger 
  

   of 
  injuring 
  the 
  trees. 
  Furthermore, 
  reliable 
  commercial 
  prepara- 
  

   tions 
  of 
  this 
  material 
  can 
  now 
  be 
  purchased, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  neces- 
  

   sary 
  to 
  bother 
  with 
  boiling 
  if 
  one 
  feels 
  that 
  the 
  delay 
  incident 
  to 
  

   preparation 
  is 
  a 
  serious 
  hindrance. 
  Orchards 
  which 
  have 
  shown 
  

   during 
  the 
  past 
  season 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  general 
  infestation 
  by 
  this 
  

   mite 
  should 
  be 
  sprayed 
  after 
  the 
  leaves 
  drop 
  and 
  before 
  they 
  appear 
  

   again 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  with 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  contact 
  insecticides 
  named 
  above, 
  

   in 
  order 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  chance 
  of 
  serious 
  injury 
  occurring 
  another 
  

   season. 
  

  

  Small 
  fruit 
  insects 
  

  

  Grape 
  root 
  worm 
  (Fidia 
  viticida 
  Walsh). 
  This 
  insect 
  

   is 
  generally 
  distributed 
  'throughout 
  the 
  Chautauqua 
  grape 
  belt. 
  

   There 
  has 
  been 
  a 
  marked 
  improvement 
  in 
  conditions 
  over 
  those 
  

   obtaining 
  last 
  year, 
  as 
  there 
  was 
  comparatively 
  little 
  evidence 
  of 
  

   injury, 
  though 
  there 
  were 
  reports 
  of 
  severe 
  local 
  damage 
  in 
  vine- 
  

   yards 
  in 
  Sheridan 
  or 
  Fredonia. 
  An 
  examination 
  of 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  

   vineyards 
  failed 
  to 
  disclose 
  any 
  alarming 
  conditions, 
  and 
  we 
  are 
  

   well 
  satisfied 
  that 
  as 
  a 
  whole 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  a 
  material 
  betterment. 
  

   Part 
  of 
  this 
  is 
  undoubtedly 
  due 
  to 
  better 
  cultivation, 
  particularly 
  

  

  