86 FARM FRIENDS AND FARM FOES 



upon young trees it may occur over the whole surface of 

 the bark. It does not confine its attacks to the bark, how- 

 ever, for leaves and fruit are often infested. Upon these, 

 as well as upon young bark, there is frequently a very 

 characteristic purplish ring around each scale. When the 

 leaves are infested, the insects are especially likely to be 

 found along the midrib. 



This scale has commonly been introduced into new 

 localities by means of young trees from nurseries. There 

 are now rigid inspection laws in nearly all the states to 

 prevent the further distribution of the pest in this way. 

 The most effective remedy so far discovered, is that of 

 spraying in late autumn with a miscible oil or a lime-sulphur 

 wash. As is so often the case, the use of this lime-sulphur 

 wash has been found to have additional advantages in de- 

 stroying other insects and in preventing various fungous 

 diseases. 



The Cottony Maple Scale is one of the most distinctive 

 members of the great family of Bark Lice. It may be 

 found in vast numbers, especially in the Middle Western 

 states, upon the twigs of the silver maple, and is easily 

 recognized by the mass of cottony tufts which are found 

 beneath each of the darker-colored scales. Early in sum- 

 mer great numbers of eggs are deposited inside of these 

 cottony masses. About three thousand eggs commonly 

 occur beneath each scale. In June or July these eggs 

 hatch into tiny larvae that wander over the leaves and soon 

 fix themselves, inserting their beaks to suck the liquid 

 from the tissues. Here they continue to develop until 

 shortly before the time for the leaves to fall. By this time, 

 the males mature into small winged insects that are able 

 to desert the leaves and fly about. The females, however, 

 crawl from the leaves to the bark of the neighboring twigs, 



