Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-11-27
HOPTICULlUPE'
Plant Lice.

ssSus uSC atu VI tubcCtb unuohy
rounded In form and provided with
two little tubes which extend upward
and backward from the abdomen. says
. bulletin OF the Colorado Experiment
Station. Lice live upon tho Juices OF
plants by thrusting their bills
through the epide mis- Of tho tender
twiss or leaves. The Arst brood In
the spring Is proauced from esgs
which wero laid the previous fall. The
other generations. except the last. are
females born alive. and ~ these young
begin Immediately to suck Juices and
soon bear other young. tho number
which may result In . single season
from tho Matching Of one egg Is almost
Incredible. The nrst generations are
winsiess and live not far from the
place where the eggs hntchcd. In
time. however. winged individuals ap-
pear. These ny to new feeding grounds
and arc tho chief source Of distribu.
ton. Most lice arc green and escape
notice. but Somo arc made conspicuous
by their coiors. Tho last brood In the
fall lay eggs. These may be seen
after tho leaves have fallen A. tiny
black obions objects on tho limbs and
about tho buds. An abundance OF
these indicates that watehfulness will
be needed the following spring.
Generally plant iicc arc kept under
control by their enemies. chief OF
which arc tho lady.birds and syrphus
fies. Adult iady.birds may usually
bc recognized a. oval rcd beetles
n nuflek kaHL TkA II =
oblong. rough and commonly notified
red and black. They have threo pairs
Of legs and . distinct head. Tho oggs
arc yellow and laid In patches where
iioa arc abundant. Tho syrphus ny
larvae are smooth. green or Erccnish
white and without distinct legs and
head. Tho ogEs arc white. oblong
bodies which arc laid sinEiy on the
leaves OF infested plants. Where the
enemies arc abundant they will do
stroy tho iicc and spraying Is unncccs.
xary.
From tho manner Of their feeding Il
Is impossible to Kill plant lice with
poisons. II is necessary to employ
soino substance which will kill by
contact and TO apply II very thorough.
ly. for every insect which escapes the
application remains to rcpopulatc the
food plant. These precautions arc
valuable: I. Spray upward with force
80 ns to wet the under side Of tho
leaves. 2. Spray before tho winged
forms appear TO prevent distribution.
"Teiiin9" People About Spraying.
Our cntomoloEists md horticultur.
lists. says Prof. r. NJ. Webster. have
been trying to instruct people. but still
we arc cncountcrins criticisms every
year: and when We demonstrate. we
arc asked why in the world wc do not
toll people these things. Why do We
not tell people? II the Angel Gabriel
had attempted TO tell people" hc
would have long ago worn out his
trumpet and retired in disgust! Why
do We not tell people? Why will not
people read. and listen. and remember
these things that arc rs simple rs tho
frst letters OF the alphabet? Tell peo-
pie! Why. We arc 30 sick Of telling
these things that We hate the sound
OF our own voices, or the words as
they appear on paper. How In the
world arc we to tell you II you will
not listen. or listening will not re.
member? Why will you not read these
things? ask these questions because
this is really one OF the most difIicult
phases OF the problem. After we
learn what an insect will do and what
It will not do. there Is the unknown
quantity to take into consideration,
viz. what the people will do II they do
anything. Now. have no wish to dis.
count the Intelligence Of our people.
and yet 1t always gives me the feeling
that I am doing this when I repeat,
time and again, the simplest state.
ments and directions relative to spray.
ing for certain insects or fungous dis.
easeS