The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1906-05-16
TIMELY HINTS TO FRUITGROwERS
+. Y. Hartzell, State Orchard Inspector
Gives Some Very Good Advice.

L. z. Hartzell State orchard inspector
of Forest county having inspected the
orchards, desires to give some timely
suggestions. The insect known as the
oyster shell scale has infested many
young apple tree so rs to injure them,
and unless the insects be killed the trees
will die, The best remedy is a solution
made by using one pound of white oil
soap Common soap will do) and five
gallons of water. This should be APP
piled between May 25 and June l. The
canker worm has made its appearance
in the eastern part of Forest county and
as it appeared in large numbers last
year, it is reasonable to expect an in
crease in numbers and these may serious
ly damage fruittreeS. The female moth,
which lays the eggs from which the cank-
er worms hatch, is wingless creature.
1t climbs the trees and deposits its eggs.
The worms (caterpillars) may also climb
the tree. The remedy therefore, is some
method of preventing the insects from
climbing the trees and thus feeding on
the leaves. Tie bands of cotton around
the trees, or use bands of tarred paper,
or, better still, tie pieces of wire netting
about the tree so as to form an inverted |
funnel. If cotton is used care must be
exercised that they are made fluffy after |
every rain or it will become compact
enough for the insects to crowd over it.
If tarred paper is used care must be used
in keeping plenty of fresh tar on the
bards, when few of the insects have
gotten on the trees before the trees were
barded, they can be killed by using Paris
Green as a spray. The seventeen-year
cicada commonly known as the seven
'een-year locusts will be present in
Clearfield and other counties southeast
Of Forest county and they may also ap-
pear in this county as the limits of the
brood is not exactly known. 1t is i'm
Dortant that farmers plant no young
.rees this spring for should the locusts
appear many of them will be killed.
The insect injuries trees by laying its
,ggs in the small branches, but when a
.ree is very young they may lay them
n the trunk and thus kill the tree.
Bordeaux mixture is the the standard
ungicide and is used to prevent the
brown rot of apple, peach, cherry, plum
md grape, the black rot of grapes; the
nildews on different fruits; and the late
blight of potatoes. The formula is four
pounds of lime (unslacked) four pounds
If copper Sulphate (blue stone) fifty gal
ons of water. Spraying should be be-
yun early in the spring and continued
1t intervals of ten days or two weeks
until the fruit is half grown then use
i've ounces of copper carbonate, three
oints ammonia and forty five gallons of
water. Dissolve the copper carbonate
n the ammonia then add the water
continue this until the fruit is ripe.
Where chewing insects infest the trees
Idd paris green to these mixtures. For
ate blight of potatoes use the bordeaux
mixture after the plants are six inches
nigh and continue until the stalks die
lown in the fall. For potato scab use
light onces of formalin in fifteen gallons
of water, soak the seed potatoes about
5wo hours in this and plant in clean
ground, ground that was not planted to
potatoes for several years. For plum
,urculio several remedies are given:
pray with Paris Green or Arsenate of
Lead just after the buds burst and be-
ore the flowers open. Spray again with
Arsenate of Lead soon after the petals
all, catch the insect by jarring them on
,lothes spread under the tree while it is
,ool at night or in the morning, gather
md destroy all fallen plums every day
while the larave are in them. Keep
poultry in the orchards where these
PESTS occur.