APPLES 
properly cure up for the winter, thus pre- 
venting to a large extent winter injury. 
Pests on Young Trees in North Central 
Washington 
Cut Worms and Weevils 
Cut worms and weevils are among the 
worst pests on young trees in this dis- 
trict. They may be controlled absolutely 
by paper cone protectors made of two ply 
glazed paper. The shape of the paper 
when cut is that of a triangle with the 
peak cut square off. The size varies with 
larger trees, but for young trees the pa- 
pers are cut six inches across the top; 
eleven inches across the bottom and sev- 
en inches high. Two of these are stuck 
together with a band of tree tangle foot 
across the paper. In this manner a man 
can take a large quantity of protectors in 
a basket. The paper when folded around 
the tree makes a cone with a band of 
tangle foot around on the inside of the 
cone. This protector makes it impossible 
for a cutworm or weevil to get up the 
tree and eat out the buds. A pin is stuck 
through the top of the cone and a small 
piece of paper adhesive tape is stuck 
across the bottom; these hold the cone 
in perfect shape and prevent any binding 
on the tree. It is a very serious injury 
and often absolutely ruinous to young 
trees to have the buds eaten out two or 
three times before the tree makes a 
growth. By this method of control these 
pests can be perfectly and inexpensively 
held in check. Where there are cutworms 
and no weevils and the condition is not 
bad enough to require protectors, cut- 
worms are often controlled with poison 
bait made of bran, syrup and zine ar- 
senite. 
Woolly Aphis 
The object in mentioning woolly aphis 
is to urge the growing of tobacco to help 
in the control of this pest. I think this 
can be done in most of the fruit growing 
districts in the Northwest. The woolly 
aphis must be killed both on the tree and 
on the roots in the ground, in order to 
make a thorough job of it. They can be 
killed on the tree by spraying with crude 
oil or Black Leaf 40. To kill them in the 
ground throw the dirt back from the 
401 
crown of the tree and spray the roots 
with tree spray, then put two pounds 
or more of tobacco stems and leaves 
around the trunk of the tree just above 
where the roots join the trunk. This 
tobacco prevents the woolly aphis from 
going up or down from top to root or 
from root to top. The result is that the 
aphis are killed off the roots. This meth- 
od has heretofore been impractical be- 
cause the tobacco stems and leaves had 
to be shipped from the tobacco growing 
states, and the quality could not be de- 
pended upon. But by growing our own 
tobacco this problem is solved, and the 
control of the woolly aphis becomes com- 
paratively inexpensive and easy. 
Green Aphis 
Green Aphis should be killed off from 
the young trees. This is done by spray- 
ing with Black Leaf 40 as soon as they 
appear and whenever they appear. 
Borers 
The flathead apple tree borer does con- 
siderable damage on newly planted trees. 
This pest may be controlled by paper 
cones made of magazine leaves. Simply 
take the leaf of paper, fold down the cor- 
ner, make a cone around the tree; fit 
the cone tightly at the top and put a pin 
in to hold it; never use a string or wire 
as this may girdle the tree. Bury the 
bottom of the cone about an inch in the 
ground; this cone prevents the mother 
beetle from laying her eggs on the tree 
just at the surface of the ground, and the 
young borers can not get into the tree. 
After the tree makes one good growth 
there is then very little danger of borer 
damage. 
Gophers 
In addition to trapping and poisoning 
gophers, we have had considerable suc- 
cess catching them in pits dug in the or- 
chard. These pits are dug six to eight 
feet deep and two or three feet across. 
Sometimes poisoned raisins with anise oil 
on them are put in the pits. Anise oil at- 
tracts all rodents. Whether the anise oil 
is put in the pits or not, a great many 
gophers fall in and die, being unable to 
get out. 
R. EpwarD TRUMBLE 
