Insects and the Fruit Crop. 



feared that the aphides will get into the flower glumes 

 later on and lessen the yield. 



Another reason for the increase of aphides is that the 

 lady birds [Cocci iicllce) remained in their hibernating refuges 

 unusually late because of the cold wet spring. In the first 

 week in June many lady-birds were still found in their 

 winter retreats in crevices of walls, under the bark of trees^ 

 in the cornices of ceilings, in cracks of boards and barns 

 and outhouses and other winter quarters. 



Millipedes caused much mischief in some hop districts 

 by eating the young hop shoots close to the stocks. Wire- 

 worms also did much injury in this way, but millipedes 

 were distinctly identified in many cases. They were diverted 

 in some degree by pieces of potato and mangel put close 

 to the hills and examined at intervals, and the millipedes 

 dislodged and destroyed. Wireworms have greatly damaged 

 young- mangel plants in many places by attacking them 

 while quite young and small. Dressings of nitrate of soda 

 and kainit did some good, but the very wet weather washed 

 them away and the cold retarded the growth of the plants. 



Innumerable caterpillars appeared in May upon the apple 

 trees in many orchards and plantations, in some of which 

 they seriously lessened the crop by devouring the Iraves 

 and blossoms. The caterpillars of the Winter J\Ioth were, 

 as they commonly are, the chief offenders, though they 

 were accompanied by those of at least four other species ol 

 moths. Those growers who banded their trees properly 

 suffered comparatively little, and those who sprayed them 

 with quassia and soft soap, or Paris green, early and per- 

 sistently, were but slightly affected. 



The apple-sucker [Psylla malt) has been extremely plentiful 

 in some apple orchards. It is so small that careful examina- 

 tion is needed to ascertain its presence. It is influenced to 

 some extent by spraying with soft soap and quassia, and 

 more so with Paris gre<m, though its habit of getting between 

 the innermost folds of the blossom serves to protect it from 

 the effect of washes used to poison its food or make it 

 distasteful. 



The apple blossom weevil [^iiitJionoiJiiis poj/io?'i{j/i)h.?i<, been 



