f) 



G NEW YOEK STATE MUSEUM 



variable in early spring, as is apt to be the case in most parts of 

 New York State, there^ is no necessity of any preliminary boiling 

 or treatment before operations begin. Taking all of these factors 

 into consideration, Mr W. H. Hart of Poughkeepsie is of the 

 opinion that it costs no more to spray with one of these miscible 

 oils than with a lime-sulfur wash, in spite of the great disparity in 

 the cost of materials. This is undoubtedly very close to the truth 

 but other factors should be considered. Experience in the past 

 has demonstrated that oily applications are not particularly bene- 

 ficial to fruit trees, and it is yet to be ascertained what results will 

 follow a series of annual applications of these proprietary mixtures. 

 Furthermore, those made by different firms are not alike and it is 

 unsafe to conclude that because one brand is harmless that the same 

 is true of another. These materials should be used, if employed 

 at all, with the greatest caution and the trees sprayed with such 

 mixtures should be carefully watched for indications of oil injury. 

 The results obtained with these soluble oils in 1907, so far as 

 destroying scale is concerned, are practically equal with those given 

 by the lime-sulfur wash. It should be remembered in this connec- 

 tion that the season appears to have been an exceptionally favor- 

 able one for destroying the scale, and it would not be surprising if 

 the true relative value of these preparations was somewhat different 

 from that indicated by the experience of the past season. 



Grape root worm (Fidia v i t i c i d a Walsh). The back- 

 ward season of 1907 had a very pronounced effect upon the devel- 

 opment of the root worm as well as upon the growth of vegetation. 

 Many farmers considered the season two to three weeks later than 

 usual, and the same was true of the root worm. Normally this 

 species transforms to the pupa from about June ist to the 20th, 

 the full grown larvae being near the surface some days at least 

 before pupation occurs. An examination of several vineyards in 

 Westfield, June 4, showed that even on warm soil there was no 

 evidence of transforming to the pupa. Indications at that time 

 were that pupae would not begin to appear in numbers before 

 June 18 and possibly not till the 25th or early in July. Subse- 

 quent observations showed that even this was too early, as on July 

 10 only a few full grown larvae and two recently transformed 

 pupae were to be found on light soil, indicating that these changes 

 had been greatly delayed by the abnormally backward season. An 

 examination of various vineyards at this time indicated that larvae 

 were relatively scarce, this being particularly marked in the case 



