The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-11-15
INJURIOUS INSECTS.
some of the Best Methods of Combating
Them.

/
Read before the Horticultural society Nov. s
| By b. =. PancOasLi
This subject assigned to me seems
10 be one that has been written and
rewritten until there can scarcely be
found anything new and | must be
psrdoned if reiterate what YOU all
know and are likely tired of hearing
The COdlirg Mob. think, is he
most serious enemy and the one Great
ing the greatest liss to The fruit crop.
This insect has been longer with us
than most others and all are doubt
less familiar with it and its habits.
The Moth flies at night and deposits
its eggs in the bloss )m end of The
small apples or pears
| There are several methods for ,'e-
stroying it. but We may not succeed
in entirely celebrating the pest.
Prominent among the methods i'm use
l. spraying with pOisons, alsO de
stroying all the fallen and worm,
fruit. Sheep and pigs are recon-
mrnded TO pick up the worthless
fruit. Most people think large hogs
are benefit in all orchard. but my
observation is that they are Oftener
an injury than gOod. The wild Red
Haw is always full of these worms.
AS the fruit is worthless as food and
the trees not much for timber. cut
and destroy them. If the Moth can
tind no other place to lay her eggs,
except in our cultivated fruits and We
use proper diligence in spraying and
other approved methods to destroy
them, we can at least keep them in
check so the injury will be only tri-
| fling
The next insect in Importance in
this locality is the Apple Curculio.
This has only been with US a few
years but is steadily increasing in
numbers. No very good remedy has
been in use to combat them. | have
myself, during the last season with a
view OF combating this insect. tried
spraying pear tree with dilute So
luton mixed with concentrated Iye at
a rate of 10. To- 40 gal. of water. The
result was two bushels of pears with
not u mark of any kind of insect Oh a
single one. This decides me to- try
the same process with apples. in
tend also, if possible, to experiment
with potash solutions in the cure o.
peach and other kinds of rot.
Fungus, rot. bacteria of numerous
kinds, while not insect, play al i'm
p0rtant part i'm the destruction Of our
fruits. These things, when the
weather is suitable for their growth,
increase go rapidly that We should
always be OH our guard and apply
the remedies. the prin cipal of which
il the Bordeaux mixture, before their
numbers becnme so great that it
seems impossible to do anything with
them.
Another, and a very injurious pest,
Aphides, of several kinds, and among
them the Woody Aphis, commonly
called Root Lice, are very destructive
to the growing trees. When trees
are brought from the nursery, before
planting they should be examined,
if any sign of Apbis are found, pre-
pare a solution of lie and dip the
roots. This will not iDjure the trees,
but destroy the insects. Wood ashes
IL we could secure a sufficient amount,
would probably be the best thing to
work through the soil about the roots.
BulIestisis, of the agriculture dep t..
recommended Bi-Sulphate of Carbon.
This substance when exposed to the
atmosphere is rapidly converted to
vapOr, this ,vapOr or gas is heavier
than the air and by pouring on the
ground aud covering with something
will penetrate to the roots. 1t instan-
thy destrOyes all insect life and is not
injurious TO vegetation. 1t has been
found to destroy wevil in Large eleva- +
tors of wheat. also it will clear out
rats and mice by pouring some in
their holes, the vapOr finds the bot
tom and drives them out. Most in
sects that are injurious to fruit cul
ture are more numerous and destruct-
i've in dry weather, the past season
has had more rains and less dtOuth
than for several years, insects have
been less numerous and blight has
done very little injury.
Water, therefore, is principal fac
tor in fruit culture and insect des-
truction. If we do not have season.
able rains, continuous and thorough
cultivation keep up vigorous
growth that being a strong point in
preventing insect depreciation.