October, 1910 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
25 
through its secretary, expressed 
to him their regret at his depar- 
ture and their best wishes for his 
success in the new field. 
During the month of Sep- 
tember, Dr. S. B. Fracker, who 
had been associated with Prof. 
Sanders, was Acting State Ento- 
mologist and took charge of all 
branches of the work of the 
office. Just before going to 
press we learn that Prof. E. D. 
Ball, has been appointed to the 
vacancy and will come to Wis- 
consin on October 1. The new 
State Entomologist is from 
Logan, Utah, where he has been 
Dean of the College of Agricul- 
ture and Director of the Experi- 
ment Station for a number of 
years. He is a man of long 
entomological experience and one 
who has been a successful execu- 
tive. Wisconsin Horticulture be- 
speaks for him the loyal support 
of the nurserymen and fruit- 
growers. 
Red Spider Work 
The common red spider, 
known to scientists by the im- 
posing name of Tetranychus tel- 
arius Linn., which is an ever 
present pest of many of our 
garden flowers, has come into 
unusual prominence this sum- 
mer. Most of the readers of 
Wisconsin Horticulture are un- 
fortunately so familiar with the 
work of this mite that it is 
scarcely necessary to describe it. 
The pest, as the name indicates, 
is a minute red, eight-legged 
spider at which we must look 
closely in order to be able to see 
it at all. 
The injury which it causes is 
due to the puncturing of the tis- 
sues of the leaf from the under 
side and the withdrawing of the 
'iquid contents of the leaf cel's. 
The mouth parts of the mite are 
especially adapted for this type 
of work, which is not greatly 
different from that of the less 
known Greenhouse thrips. The 
leaf affected shows minute spots 
or puckerings, usually white or 
yellow. 
In greenhouses the red spider 
is almost always present and its 
work may also be found on many 
of our outdoor flowers. Phlox 
seems to be one of its favorite 
hosts. The most serious com- 
plaints this year have been from 
the raspberry growers near Lake 
Winnebago, where a consider- 
able loss has resulted from its 
work. 
While measures of prevention 
such as clean culture, crop rota- 
tion, etc., are of some value in 
reducing the attacks of the mites, 
whenever they are numerous it 
is necessary to use a spray. The 
materials most commonly em- 
ployed are either dry sulfur, used 
with the so-called powder gun, 
or ordinary commercial lime- 
sulfur diluted with forty or fifty 
times its volume of water. “Black 
Leaf 40” added to the lime- 
sulfur or used alone is also said 
to give good results. If a thin 
flour paste is added to the spray 
mixture, whether it be sulfur and 
water or lime-sulfur, the results 
are improved. 
I wish to emphasize the use of 
water alone, especially where 
it is available under city pres- 
sure, as this forcibly knocks the 
mites from the plants and in- 
jures so many of them that the 
danger is greatly reduced. Fumi- 
gation such as is ordinarily car- 
ried on in greenhouses does not 
seem to be effective, whether 
tobacco or cyanide is used. 
S. B. Fracker, 
Acting State Entomologist. 
Good cider vinegar may be 
made from surplus and poor 
apples. 
Parsnips, carrots and other 
root crops arc easily dug if a 
furrow of soil is thrown away 
from the plants. They can then 
be pulled sidewise. 
McKAY NURSERY 
— COMPANY — 
PARDEI VILLE - WISCONSIN 
Nursery Stock of 
Quality 
for Particular Buyers 
Have all the standard varieties as 
well as the newer sorts. Can sup- 
ply you with everything in 
Fruit Trees, Small Fruits, 
Vines and Ornamentals. 
Let us suggest what to plant both 
in Orchard and in the decoration 
of your grounds. 
Prices and our new Catalog sent 
promptly upon receipt of your list 
of wants. 
Nurseries at Waterloo, Wis. 
The H awks 
Nursery 
Company 
are in a position to fur- 
nish high grade Nursery 
Stock of all kinds and 
varieties suitable to Wis- 
consin and other north- 
ern districts. 
Will be glad to figure 
on your wa'ats either in 
large or small quantities. 
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin 
