December, 1916 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
171 
In the first place there is the San Jose scale, 
which seems to have spread pretty well all 
over this country. It gets into the bark of 
fruit trees of many varieties and sucks the 
sap, eventually causing branches or entire 
trees to rot or die. I have never seen a scale 
under a microscope, but I don’t need that. 
The scale also gets on the fruit, and when I see 
a red spot on an apple, with a pink ring around 
it, I know that there is scale on that old tree, 
and I get after it. 
Fortunately we have learned how to control 
the San Jose scale pretty well, and also its 
cousin, the oyster-shell scale or bark louse. 
What is known as a contact spray does the 
business — something that covers the bug all 
over and chokes him to death. The oldest 
and still popular specific for this is the lime- 
sulphur solution which may be mixed at 
home, or bought ready-mixed. Of late years 
the miscible oils, which are sold under various 
trade names, have come into favor, I have 
tried both, and like the oil better, though 
both are nasty substances to get on the skin 
and clothes. The oil seems to spread better 
and does not wash off the trees as readily. 
Also, since the oils are mixed with more water 
than the lime-sulphur, a smaller bulk has to be 
bought and handled. 
One thorough spraying a year should be 
sufficient, but thoroughness is essential. 
Every part of the bark must be covered. The 
application may be made at any time during 
the dormant season, provided the temperature 
is above the freezing point. The miscible 
oils usually come ready to mix at the rate of 
one gallon of oil to ten or fifteen gallons of 
water. The ready-mixed lime-sulphur re- 
quires about eight gallons of water to one of 
lime-sulphur. 
Next in order of time, and even more impor- 
tant, is the codling moth spray. Here we 
have the rascal that makes wormy apples. 
curling of the leaves makes it difficult to 
reach the pest. Tobacco extracts and soap 
solutions are also used for aphides. 
The tent caterpillar is a destructive pest, 
often defoliating the trees in a short time. If 
wild cherry trees are cut out of the hedge- 
rows the pest will not breed so profusely. 
The egg masses, curled around twigs, are 
easily identified, and may be destroyed on 
young trees during pruning in the dormant 
season. The tents or nests appear on the 
trees in the spring. Those which are not 
destroyed by the arsenical spray for codling 
moth may be burned out with a torch if on 
old, large trees, or destroyed with the gloved 
hand on small ones. 
These, according to my experience, are the 
most destructive of the insect pests. There 
is a long list of others to be found in the 
books and bulletins, but many of them are 
controlled by^the same sprays that are used 
for scale and codling moth. Not to mention 
them all, here are a few that are sometimes 
troublesome: 
Oyster-shell hark louse and scuify scale. 
Often controlled by the treatment for San 
Jose scale, but may need a second dose of 
miscible oil or lime-sulphur about the middle 
of June, when the young insects are hatched. 
Pear psylla. Secretes a sort of honey-dew in 
midsummer, and should be tackled when this 
first appears on the pear trees. Whale-oil 
soap and other contact sprays are helpful. 
Scrape off and burn the rough bark in tbe 
dormant season. 
Canker worm, or measuring worm. Ap- 
pears at the tops of apple trees in May or 
June and destroys the foliage. Arsenate of 
lead, two pounds to fifty gallons of water, 
will get them. 
Bud moth of apples. Small, brownish cater- 
pillars that feed on unfolding buds in the 
spring. Arsenate of lead spray. 
Case bearers. Small, hard caterpillars. 
Same treatment. 
Blister mite. Causes thick, brown spots 
on apple and pear leaves in summer. Summer 
treatment is useless, as the mites are inside the 
leaves, but the spraying for scale in the dor- 
mant season will kill most of the eggs. 
Curculio. Attacks the fruit of plum, apple, 
quince, and peach. The beetles may be 
Dormant sprays may be applied from now until the end 
of March. Spray for scales, codling moth, caterpillars, 
blister mite, etc. 
The newly hatched insects crawl to the young 
fruit and enter the apple at the point of least 
resistance, which is the calyx or blossom end. 
The task is to poison this insect before he 
gets into the apple, and the best time to do this 
is just after the petals fall, while the small 
fruit is still upright, making a little cup of the 
calyx ready to catch the poison. Spraying, 
then, should take place within ten days after 
the petals fall — the sooner the better. Many 
orchardists always follow this with a second 
spraying about three weeks later, to catch 
the later hatched insects. But in any case, 
do not spray with a poison while the trees are 
in full blossom. That would mean poisoning 
the bees, the orchard’s best friends at this 
season. A late brood of the codling moth 
occasionally appears in July, in which case a 
late spraying is in order. 
Arsenate of lead paste, at the rate of three 
pounds to fifty gallons of water, is the stan- 
dard remedy for codling moth and leaf-eating 
insects. The regular application for codling 
moth may be expected to control at the same 
time such insects as canker worms, tent cater- 
pillars, case-bearers, and, to some extent, the 
curculio. The lead arsenate may be com- 
bined with bordeaux mixture if a fungicide is 
needed at the same time, or with dilute lime- 
sulphur. Personally, however, I have decided 
to abandon tbe bordeaux, as I am 
inclined to believe that it is respons- 
ible for the russeting of fruit. Paris 
green has also proved an effective 
insecticide in many instances. 
Aphides or plant lice are sucking 
insects, and during recent years have 
done much damage. They are dis- 
covered on the leaves and tender 
shoots of young apple, plum, and 
cherry trees, causing the leaves to 
curl up. They suck the interior leaf 
juices and also secrete a form of 
honey-dew that discolors the fruit 
and makes it sticky. The eggs are 
carried over winter and the young 
lice begin to appear in the early 
spring. If miscible oil sprays are 
used for the scale in the spring, it 
will often get some of them. Later, 
a kerosene emulsion is most effective. Prompt- 
ness and thoroughness are essential, since the 
Spraying Lonicera 
bushes for scale. 
Use lime sulphur or 
miscible oil 
The adult moth 
appears in early 
spring and lays her 
eggs on the 
leaves, stems, 
and blos- 
som buds. 
