Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-05-15
Potomac Fruit Growers Association

The laSl regular meetluS VI ehiS esoooia'
was held in the village of Falls Church, on
5th inst. The following officers were present
The Recording Secretary, H. ". Read the
Treasurer, Lester LLOYD: the Financial See
rotary, Philip Myers, aud the Reporter John
II. Bramhall.
In the abseuce Of tic President, Judge
Bramhall, and the Vice Presidents, Or. L.
Hogan, of Falls Church, was, on motion o!
DR.. Lloyd, elected Chairman. Due nolhca
tion having been given at the last meeting. tile
following amendments to the constitution were
submitted in writing and laid over until the
next meeting: BY DR.. Lloyd to amend Art:
III. Sec /. by inserting the word white
before "persons," so as to read:
SEC. i. All white persons OF the age OF eight
cen years and upwards who are G0nd Hde resi-
dents OF the State of Virginia, shall be- eligible
to membership. ,1
By John T. Bramhall to amend Art. XII.
Sec. l., by striking out the words latter no
tifcation of at least one month, so as TO read:
SEC. /. Amendments to the Constitution
shall be proposed in writing and then I1y over
until the next meeting, when two-thlrds vote
shall be necessary for their adoption.
Friend Z. Gillingham read another OF his
instructive essays on injurious insects, compll-
ed chiefly from Warders Pomology, 10 which
attention has heretofore been called IN these
articles.
GRAssHoppERs (Orthoptera. This order
of insects have a transformation imperfect -
The eggs hatch at once into insects that re-
semble their parents in form and hablts-ex,
ceptiug that they do not get their wings until
they approach the adult state. The young
consume food voraciousy, and the perfect IN
sects ore not only still more hungry, but hav'
ing increased lowers OF locomoton, they are
more widely destructive. These are the true
locusts, and though chiefly Injurious to the
farm and garden, intesting the meadows and
corn fields, the grasshoppers, when winged, OF,
ten attack the foliage OF our young orchard
trees toward the end OF summer. But when
we contemplate the invasion OF the great
western plague belonging TO this order, which
rivals that terrible scourage, Tie locust OF the
eastern continent, in numbers and voraclty, We
may we'll dread their appearance end increase In
other parts of the country The grasshoppers
that have invaded Kansas and other western
States, arc like the rest OF this group OF or
thop.era true ocusts The name orthoptera,
is derived from the Greek, and signifies
straight wings. They embrace the grasshop-
pers or locusts crickets. cockroaches: which
are all injurious except the nantes, which are
predaceous, and therefore useful.
The order hemiptera contains many insects
that are injurious to the nursery, orchard and
garden. They are characterized by having a
proboscis instead of mouth with jaws, and can
suck but cannot bite. The proboscls is often
horny, and armed with two pair OF brstcs.
when it becomes more formidable weapon Of
attack. Bugs have four wings they do not
pass through the usual mctamorphoss of in
sect lite but are born with legs and feeding
apparatus like the perfect insect, with the ex-
ception that some have 10 wings. Bugs are
all injurious with the exception OF the few that
are prcdaceous. The latter are serviceabc in
destroying other insects. Many are very
small, yet their countless numbers and won
derful lecundity enable them to DO immense
damage III is true Of the aphides cocldac,
the tangis the tethig0nla vtes, called the
thips by our vine drcssers; and still more so
Of the chinch bug OF the west, which destroys
whole crops OF our most important cereals. -
lIemiptcrous insects are divided into two
groups. True bugs, called hemiptera hcerop-
terra, having the wing lovers Opaque al the
base aud laid horizontally, crossing each other
obliquely at the end overlapping, and the
plant and bark lice, of which there are almost
numberc=s varieties These, the hemlptcra
homiOptera, have the wing covers OF one tex
turc throughout, not horizontal, but more or
less Sloping and not crossing each other behind.
Among these, which all feed on plants, some
very troublesome pests will here be noticed.
The apple bark.louse, (aspidiatus conchlior
mis) is very numerous in many parts ut our
country, particularly north of 40 degrees lati-
tude, and in some sections commits sad deprc-
dations. Individually it is but little scale,
but it is so prolific as soon to cover every tTig o..
the tree after having once obtained a Judgment.
abstracting its vital juices. The leaves and
even the fruit are overrun with these mIscra
BILE scales, but the twigs are their favorlte re-
sort. The scales are oblong, shaped like an
oyster shell. fiat and brown, and often crowd
Ing upon one another. In the winter or spring
they contain or cover number OF small white
eggs which hatch out in May. attach them
selves to the bark and absorb the juices. Vari
Gus remedies have been suggested, and more or
less thoroughly tested. The restoration OF the
thrifty growth OF the tree is considered essen
tial to success. and without this all remedies arc
looked upon as unavailing. Strong ye, or
solutions of potash, or soda, white wash and
sulphur, have been used, and tobacco boiled IN
lye, soft soap and tar mixed with linseed oil,
which makes kind Of varnish. Walsh tells
us that applications to destroy this insect are
best made in May or June, as the eggs are
protected by the scale in winter, aud arc then
impermcabc to watcry solutions. This pest
was imported from Europe. Walsh also re
commcnd5 the use Of lady bugs to check the
bark Ice.
The pear bark louise, QIccanium, is hem
spherical brown scale as large as 4 split pea -
They may be found in the summer on the under
side of the limbs, and are the remains OF dead
females, which cover the eggs. This Insect
would be very injurious were it to increase in
numbers considerably. Let the young trees be
examined in june when the scales may be
easily found, removed, and destroyed. The
peach bark-louse, Qecanum purice,) Of ;he
same size as the pear bark louise, is found on
the smooth bark near the bud, is blacklsh, I'M
even, shining, with a pale margin Another
peach tree bark louise is described as being a
white papery scale, giving claret colored
Juice when pressed. This in the winter consists
of dead female and her eggs, the breaking of
which gives the color The remedy and pre-.
vention is the same as for oil this class of in.
sects-alkaline washes applied in the spring.
A vine bark louise, (ecanium vitesl is mention
ed as having been found on grape vines in June.
1t is brown, hemispherical scale. A cottony
substance was exuded from one end Of the
Il I,,l.-