66 PtOTOBlAL PBAOTlOAL PRVtT &BOWtNQ. 



Cbapkr XI.— fruit enemies. 



A NURSERY foreman once remarked to me, in a plaintive and piteous way, 

 that there appeared to be a special provision of Nature for fruit trees to be 

 harassed and attacked at all stages oE their annual round. I'here was, he 

 pointed out, a foliage foe at hand directly the first tinge of green showed 

 itself ; there was a blossom enemy armed for action as soon as the trusses 

 unfolded ; and there was a fruit antagonist eager for mischief as soon as the 

 fruit had set. 



Alas 1 it is too true that cultivated fruits are beset with assailants. 

 Whatever kind we grow there is something provided for attacking it ; and be 

 the circumstances what they may, there is no such thing as complete im- 

 munity. Some enemies attack all sorts of fruit trees indiscriminately, and 

 as a rule their efforts are supplemented by those of other pests peculiar to 

 each class of tree. Harassed growers are sometimes inclined to rail at 

 perverse Nature, but in the long run it will pay to exhibit disapproval in a 

 more tangible form, i.e. with washes, insecticides, and sprayers. 



The best cultivated tree is generally the least affected, and it may be 

 taken as an axiom that high culture is a direct means of keeping insects and 

 fungi in check ; but it is vain to hope that everything can be accomplished 

 with spade, manure, and pruning tool. There will have to be a certain 

 amount of special effort, and the wise grower will always have an item on 

 the debit side for insecticides. 



I propose to make a few remarks on the principal fruit enemies under two 

 heads : (1) general enemies, which usually attack more than one kind of 

 fruit ; (2) posts that, as a rule, are peculiar to one sort. 



GENERAL ENEMIES. 



American Blight.— A persistent and troublesome enemy, but one 

 which ought not to do a tithe of the damage it causes, inasmuch as itflaunis 

 itself before the eyes of the grower in the form of thick white patches, which 

 rapidly spread from shoot to shoot until the tree possesses quite a wintry 

 aspect. Left to itself, this pest does damage both directly and indirectly. 

 Its own individual operations cripple the tree, and, moreover, it predisposes 

 to canker. If American blight were kept under there' would not be half the 

 loss from canker which now takes place. The enemy, like nearly every other, 

 fails to become formidable if attacked on its first appearance. Half an hour 

 with a camel hair brush and a small bottle of methylated spirit or petroleum 

 sometimes saves days of irksome labour. The liquid should be carefully 

 applied. To plaster it all over the tree would mean destruction to the 

 latter. Take care that the application is so made that the bodies of the 

 insects serve as a buffer between the brush and the tree. Only a careless 

 operator will do harm. Where an attack has developed to proportions 

 rendering small measures impossible, wash No. 1 may be selected from the 

 list on page 78. 



Aphides. — A large and prolific family, sporting a variety of colours 

 but only one form of appetite. The " black fly " of Peaches, the " dolphin " 

 of Beans, the " brown fly " of Plums, the " green fly " of scores of crops- 

 fruit, vegetable, and flower—belong to this ancient house. Fortunately 



