REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 



427 



by the hop- vine aphis. This year the fruit-trees seemed even more 

 infested than' they were at that time. He especially wished to know 

 what significance, if any, this might have with respect to hop injuries 

 the present year. 



Answer was made that the past winter had apparently been very 

 favorable for the protection and preservation of aphis eggs, and unless 

 the young, recently hatched or now hatching, could be speedily 

 destroyed by a heavy rainfall, which, at this stage of their existence, is 

 so fatal to them, we would, in all probability, find the present year 

 characterized by an abundance of aphides equal to that of 1886. It 

 was, therefore, recommended that, if natural causes did not intervene to 

 prevent this multiplication, the hop-growers, on the first appearance of 

 the insect in their yards, should proceed to kill them by proper spray- 

 ing before they could produce new generations and extend over the 

 entire yards. Directions for spraying with kerosene emulsion — per- 

 haps the best insecticide for use against this insect — and how to make 

 the emulsion, accompanied the letter. 



In response to a request from the editor of the American Farmer 

 for information for the benefit of its readers in regard to the multipli- 

 cation of plant-lice as reported from New York, the following commu- 

 nication 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 mali, 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-vine aphis almost destroyed the hop crop of 



