SIXTH REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I909 49 



found in the full report of the State Entomologist. One apple 

 grower estimated his loss at 50 per cent. This phenomenal outbreak 

 coincided with unusually cool weather and was undoubtedly greatly 

 favored by climatic conditions. The cigar case bearer was somewhat 

 abundant in orchards in the western part of the State, though it was 

 not so numerous as in 1908. The blister mite continued its in- 

 juries of last season and in some localities was much more prev- 

 alent, this being particularly true of the Hudson valley. 



The San Jose scale continues to be one of the annoying 

 pests of the horticulturist though progressive fruit growers 

 have little difficulty in controlling it. The general experience 

 with lime-sulfur washes has been highly satisfactory. A num- 

 ber of the commercial preparations of this material have given 

 good results. Fruit growers are now beginning to use this 

 wash in a more diluted form as a summer spray for plant lice 

 and fungous diseases. 



Codling moth. The codling moth is one of the very serious 

 enemies of the fruit grower. A series of practical experiments 

 were carried on through the season for the purpose of ascer- 

 taining the actual benefit resulting from the application of ar- 

 senical poisons, and also the relative efficacy of insecticides 

 applied with a coarse or a fine spray. These experiments were con- 

 ducted in the orchard of Mr W. H. Hart of Poughkeepsie and 

 that of Mr Edward Van Alstyne at Kinderhook, N. Y. Great 

 care was 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 consisted of 42 trees, the fruit from the 

 central six alone being counted. The others were used as 

 barriers to prevent the treatment of one plot reacting upon the 

 trees in another. These experiments -involved considerable 

 labor, since three sprayings were given in the case of the orchard 

 at Poughkeepsie. It was furthermore necessary to sort and 

 classify over 100,000 apples in this orchard alone. A reference 

 to the data in the full report of the State Entomologist shows a 

 most striking difference between the fruit from the sprayed and 

 the unsprayed trees and indicates in no uncertain manner the su- 

 preme 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 quite so prevalent throughout the 

 grape belt. The acre of early Moore grapes recorded as seri- 



