The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-05-29
Dangerous Apple Tree Pests.

70 the Editor: At this daTp. May
2lst. there are two very destructive
insect pests at work in apple orchards
and city yards in the central part OF
North Carolina and probably else-
where in the State wherever the an
pie is grown.
These pests are the bag worm
ThyridopterN ephemeraefoamis and
the woolly louise Schizonenra lani-
gcra.
The bag worm lives in a ease or
bag made out of fragments Of leaves
This il carries about with it, While
young the bag is carried upright It
resembles 4 conical round tower
which seems to move about in the
leaves without any visible propelling
force. AS the enclosed CATERPILLAR
grows. it extends its covering untii
this becomes 50 large that it hangs
down instead Of being carried up
right. The full sized bag is oval. about
one and one-half inch long. The
caterpillars reach maturity in mid
summer, change to the pupa and com.
rlete insects within the case The fe-
male moth is wingless and legess
She lays her eggs within the same
bag and then suuirms out and dies
The eggs remain Unattached until the
following spring.
The bag worm attacks among the
fruit trees chiefly the apple and pear.
1t attacks also and with srecial de
structiNeness the red cedar and arbor
vitae 50 commonly used for hedges.
Nearly all our most popular shade
trees are liable to damage by this
pest.
The bag worm is a native. Southern
creasin9 in places from year 10 year
and are likely TO become severe cs-
Decially in town wards.
Remedy: Gather and burn the bags
before the eggs halch.
G). It IS now too late for this eN-
cept in the mountain section.
t2). Spray the attacked trees. espo-
cially the undersides Of the leaves
with Paris green. mixed in water at
rate of + ounces to the barrel or IA
ounce to 4 two gallon pail. About
two gallons are NEEDED to spray an
average apple tree if fine pozzle is
used. Evergreen hedges and shade
trees may be SPRAYED in tie same
way.
The second pest is peculiuf to the
apple tree. II is called the Woo1iy APP
nle louise SchiZoneura lanioera.
This insect is fer the apple what the
phylloNera is for the grape. Like the
oraupe louse ii has two forms which
inhaIiit the shoot and root respenliye-
~. The root form is most common
and destructive in nurseries: the
shoot forms in orchars. The root
form can not be econonlicali< de
stroyed frees badly infested in the
roots are worthless and should never
be planted. The shoot form of the
insect is 4 small oreenish louise with
the hinder part covered by a tut1 Of
fine. white. NOCllN hairs which ar"
easily rubbed off. These line are l., ls,t
commonly found at the base Of Young
shoots and in the axis of leaves in
| the Young wood. They punctura these
| parts with their long be:ils and suck
| out the sap which sholii nourish
| the tree and form fruit. BADLY ln-
| tested trees are certain 20 drop their
! fruit.
Remedy: Spray the trees as soon
| as the lice appear With ! solution of
| / pound Of fish oil SOAP in four or
| FIVE gallons Of hot water. Or spray
| with a detection of one pound ,f TO
| baccO boiled in three gallons OF VA
| ter, or one teaspOOniul O, Grade car
| bolic acid III one gallon If waiar. he
| soap SoIuIlOn Is cntaDHS. a.iU DN IIl
| the best. Usually one spraying with
| soap in spring will be sufficient but
if more lice appear repeat affe: three
| or four weeks Fish oil soap--com
| monty called oil soap costs n barrel
lots three and half to foul ana hall
cents per pound. It can be boneh7. OF
| James Good. Philadelphia, "a. amt
! Of Dey Brothers, Beaufort, \. {.
Every fruit grower should keep on
| hand a supply Of fish OIL soap. 1t is
the best and most useful of all or
| chard sprays Used during the grow
in" season at the rate C one pound
| to five gallons of hot water it kills
all Ice, aphides. caterpilars. scale
bugs and the spores Of many dan
/ oerOUS fHTgous pests. tSed after the
| leaves fall at the strength of one
| pound to the gallon of water it Will
| kill 05 per cent Of San Jose and other
| scales which infest trees. 1t cleanses
| the trees from lichenS and mosses,
loosens the bark and in a general way
| improves the health of Il tree so far
| that one may secure an increase OF
/ fruit worth at least a dollar for an
| expenditure of less than 10 cents for
| soap and labor.
GERALD McC CARTHN.
Entomolog