8 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Fruit tree insects. Practical work with the codling moth was 

 conducted the past season in cooperation with the bureaus of farmers' 

 institutes and of horticulture of the State Department of Agri- 

 culture and the Monroe County Farm Bureau. These studies, 

 conducted in three commercial orchards in western New York, 

 showed first of all a marked discrepancy between the habits of the 

 insect in portions of the western part of the State, as compared with 

 the Hudson valley. The cool evening temperatures prevailing near 

 Lake Ontario at about the time the moths appear result, in some 

 seasons at least, in a delayed deposition of eggs and a very high 

 percentage of side injury caused by the young codling moth larva 

 entering the smooth surface of the fruit and then, in many instances, 

 migrating to the blossom end. This characteristic blemish affected 

 20 per cent or more of the yield in some cases. The data obtained 

 emphasize the great importance of the spraying given just after the 

 blossoms fall, and also the advisability in sections where this injury 

 is prevalent, of making annual applications whether the trees be 

 fruiting or not. Furthermore, the second spraying ordinarily advised 

 for the codling moth, namely about two weeks after the first, would 

 probably be more effective in reducing this side injury if it were 

 made the latter part of June. The general prevalence of apple scab 

 in this section amply justifies three sprayings after the blossoms 

 drop, even though the latter two are not necessary for the control 

 of insect pests. A detailed account of the work is given in the body 

 of the report. 



Leaf roller. Investigations made in connection with the above- 

 named codling moth work showed this insect to be generally dis- 

 tributed and frequently very abundant in apple orchards of western 

 New York. Furthermore, the data obtained when classifying the 

 fruit for codling moth work indicated very little reduction in leaf 

 roller injury as a result of any of the poisoned applications made 

 after the blossoms fell. The injury by this insect in the Hudson 

 valley is much less and, generally speaking, is almost negligible. 

 An exhaustive study of this species is being made by our colleague, 

 Prof. G. W. Herri ck, and there is therefore no necessity for giving 

 more attention to this species at the present time. 



Green fruit worm. These characteristic leaf and small fruit eaters 

 were somewhat abundant in western New York and less so in Hudson 

 valley orchards, the damage apparently not equaling that caused 

 by the leaf rollers. 



San Jose scale has been less abundant in some Hudson valley 

 orchards than in earlier years, though this does not appear to be 



