﻿Report 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Entomologist 
  185 
  

  

  In 
  response 
  to 
  a 
  request 
  from 
  the 
  editor 
  of 
  the 
  American 
  

   Farmer, 
  for 
  information 
  for 
  the 
  benefit 
  of 
  its 
  readers 
  in 
  regard 
  

   to 
  the 
  multiplication 
  of 
  plant-lice 
  as 
  reported 
  from 
  New 
  York, 
  

   the 
  following 
  communication 
  was 
  made 
  and 
  published 
  in 
  the 
  

   issue 
  of 
  that 
  journal 
  for 
  June 
  1, 
  1893 
  : 
  

  

  "The 
  remarkable 
  abundance 
  of 
  these 
  destructive 
  little 
  pests 
  on 
  the 
  

   opening 
  buds 
  and 
  tender 
  leaves 
  of 
  fruit 
  trees 
  in 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  

   this 
  spring 
  is 
  exciting 
  a 
  great 
  deal 
  of 
  interest 
  and 
  considerable 
  appre- 
  

   hension 
  among 
  fruit 
  growers. 
  The 
  apple 
  tree 
  has 
  been 
  particularly- 
  

   infested, 
  the 
  insect 
  occurring 
  on 
  it, 
  the 
  Aphis 
  malt, 
  being 
  one 
  that 
  

   multiplies 
  under 
  favoring 
  conditions 
  in 
  excessive 
  numbers, 
  entirely 
  

   covering 
  twigs 
  and 
  standing 
  one 
  on 
  another, 
  and 
  sucking 
  out 
  all 
  the 
  

   sap 
  until 
  the 
  parts 
  attacked 
  are 
  blighted. 
  

  

  " 
  From 
  some 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  reports 
  have 
  reached 
  me 
  of 
  the 
  

   opening 
  buds 
  of 
  apple 
  trees 
  being 
  literally 
  covered 
  with 
  these 
  plant 
  

   lice, 
  or 
  aphides 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  scientifically 
  known. 
  As 
  the 
  reports 
  have 
  

   come 
  from 
  eastern, 
  central, 
  and 
  northern 
  counties, 
  it 
  would 
  appear 
  as 
  if 
  

   the 
  condition 
  was 
  general 
  throughout 
  the 
  State. 
  Whether 
  it 
  also 
  

   extends 
  into 
  adjoining 
  and 
  other 
  States 
  is 
  as 
  yet 
  unknown 
  to 
  me. 
  

  

  " 
  To 
  inquiries 
  made 
  of 
  the 
  probable 
  effect 
  of 
  this 
  attack 
  on 
  the 
  com- 
  

   ing 
  fruit 
  crops, 
  I 
  have 
  replied 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  unusually 
  severe, 
  and 
  appar- 
  

   ently 
  exceeded 
  anything 
  that 
  we 
  had 
  experienced 
  since 
  the 
  year 
  1886, 
  

   when 
  the 
  superabundance 
  of 
  plant 
  lice 
  of 
  different 
  species 
  inflicted 
  

   serious 
  losses, 
  and 
  the 
  hop 
  aphis 
  almost 
  destroyed 
  the 
  hop 
  crop 
  of 
  the 
  

   State 
  of 
  New 
  York. 
  It 
  was 
  therefore 
  desirable 
  that 
  fruit 
  growers 
  

   should 
  spray 
  their 
  trees 
  at 
  once 
  with 
  kerosene 
  emulsion, 
  strong 
  soap 
  

   suds, 
  or 
  tobacco 
  water, 
  and 
  not 
  wait 
  until 
  the 
  aphides 
  have 
  greatly 
  

   multiplied 
  and 
  found 
  shelter 
  within 
  the 
  curled 
  leaves 
  where 
  the 
  insecti- 
  

   cide 
  could 
  not 
  reach 
  them 
  . 
  A 
  long, 
  cold 
  rain 
  following 
  in 
  a 
  week 
  or 
  

   ten 
  days 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  insect, 
  would 
  probably 
  be 
  quite 
  as 
  bene- 
  

   ficial 
  as 
  the 
  spraying 
  recommended, 
  if 
  we 
  could 
  judge 
  from 
  observations 
  

   in 
  preceding 
  years, 
  but, 
  of 
  course, 
  this 
  providential 
  aid 
  coiild 
  not 
  be 
  

   counted 
  upon. 
  

  

  " 
  Since 
  then 
  we 
  have 
  had 
  throughout 
  the 
  State 
  heavy 
  rains, 
  continu- 
  

   ing 
  with 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  intermission, 
  amounting 
  to 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  three 
  

   inches 
  of 
  fall. 
  It 
  was 
  not 
  a 
  cold 
  rain, 
  however, 
  and 
  judging 
  from 
  a 
  

   few 
  leports 
  since 
  received 
  (I 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  make 
  personal 
  

   observations) 
  it 
  failed 
  to 
  prove 
  very 
  efficient 
  in 
  the 
  desired 
  direction, 
  

   for 
  the 
  apple 
  aphis 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  about 
  as 
  abundant 
  as 
  before. 
  

  

  "Our 
  hop 
  growers 
  also 
  are 
  feeling 
  considerable 
  anxiety, 
  for 
  the 
  

   same 
  conditions 
  that 
  favor 
  an 
  unusual 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  apple 
  aphis 
  

   24 
  

  

  