Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-09-06
INSECT PESTS.
More Numerous Than Ever in the
state Of Maine.

49,. Numerous Than Ever In the
state Of Maine.
FROM the Bs~sor CommsrctaLl
That insect posts are creating great
..yoo in the forests and orchards Of
Mine this season, il the report received
49,, various parts Of the State. Only the
l.s.r dav the Comxssreial reported in .
0..c;al from Augusta that the sawfly 10
.a.kine serious trouble among the spruce
&c above Moxie on the timberlands Of
,hs Great Northern Paper Co., and that
.ss horticultural bureau Of the depart
.,srt Of agriculture considers the danger
..rte and fears that the situation lnay be
- great as some thirty years ago, when
~. heavy loss to the hackmatack growth
was experienced.
week or two previous, g. A. Eaton re-
.urned FROM trip in the eastern part Of
tne State and reported the presence Of
abill,ons on billions" Of caterpillars in
the woods Of Charlotte, Pembroke and
Meddy bemps, and told of the ravsges be-
mo done in that section as well % 1t Per-
ham. in Aroostook county, whore orchards
were stripped by the same species Of cater
pillar.
The Commercials Eastport correspond
ont also reported that 1.-THE trees in the
town Of Perry are being devastated by
sort Of green bug or seventeen year
locust, a. some Of the farmers call it, and
every effort is being made to got rid Of the
evil. In the vicinity Of Boyden's lake
over 100 acres OF heavy woodland have
been completely stripped Of every vestige
Of vegetation, and the farmers are alarmed
lest the entire growth Of trees will be de-
stroyed.
In this connection DR.. O. A. Johannsen,
entomologist at the Maine agricultural
experiment station ct Orono, to whom are
YEARLY referred many specimens Of insect
life that the people many learn what the
nest is and how to combat it, tells the
Commercial that the reports up to the
present time show more insects and q
greater variety than ever before.
DR., O. A. Johannsen states that during
the present season the insects most fire.
ouently sent have been forest and apple
tree tent caterpillars. Besides these, several
different varieties have been found to be
troublesome. DR.. Johsnnsen says con-
corning the situation:
"Among the shade tree pests the cater
pillar OF the yellow edge or mourning
cloak butterflies have been very prevalent
the past season on the elms. On the same
i. variety of tree has also been found scale
insect called Eulocanium, having q red
dish brown, hemisphericai scale, unusual
" large for scale insect. Abundant on
the elms, it has bsen found in lesser guam
titles on naples and locusts.
1.-THE caterpillars can be killed by arsen-
ical sprays, the scale insects by the appli-
cation Of kerosene emulsion Immediately
after the young hatch or a. they leave the
scale.
Insects that have done Q great amount
OF injury to birches are . yellow bug
psyllid. They did some damage . year
ago. The adults mature the last OF June
and the young are found in white, fluffy
masses on the trees. Spraying before the
middle Of June with kerosene or soap
emulsion is the way to get rid Of these
pests. Use arsenical sprays for caterpiI-
lars, being watchful and noting when they
begin to do damage.
1.-THE aphides seem more numerous this
year than last, especially on the apples.
The APPLE bud moth has been very COM
mon, together with the cigar case bearer
and the oblique- banded leaf-roller, and are
among the apple tree insects especially
troublesome.
SIN the garden the cucumber beetle and
potato bug are reported, while from dif-
ferent sources comes the word thht the
seed-corn maggot has been doing much
damage to beans and cauliflower. With
the cucumber beetle it is recommended to
set out the young plants under covers.
Paris green has been used, but has not
been found generally reliable. The ex-
perience OF market men lis that ashes or
road dust will drive them away, and as
the insects are allowed to collect on few
plants they are poisoned with Paris green.
The seed-corn naggot is difficult in
sect to fight. Crude carbolic acid and
AAAAe iuiAcu WIN W6t6E 8nu oSSA
the ground will discourage it's growth in
the case Of the beans while Q preventive
for its attacks on caulidower is to cover
the plants.
DR.. Johannsen further says concerning
the cabbage maggot and seen corn maggot
on cabbage and caulifiower and detail OF
control:
"This is common pest in eed-beds,
but il controlled there, seldom does much
damage in the field. The eggs are usually
deposited On the ground near the stems OF
the young plants, or on the stems close to
the ground or even trifle below it, by
ny resembling the common house fly. In
about week the egg matches and the tiny
grub makes its way to the root, where
1t is able to rasp away the tender bark
and tissues with horny hook included
among its mouth parts. Decay Of the
wounded parts aids it's progress, 10 that,
nuk q - Ia