Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1915-02-18
SCAB AND OTHER
PECAN DISEASES
Forty Different Insects Attack the
Pecan, Says The State Board
Of Entomology.


troll of pecan insects and diseases,
and has made notable progress.
The increasing importance of this
nut crop in Georgia, where the soil
and climate are peculiarly adapted
to it's production, has caused State
Entomologist E. Lee Worsham to go
very thoroughly into the question: and
two main facts stand out clearly from
the data that has been col
lected, viz, that spraying with arse
nate Of lead is the most effective rem
edy against the caterpillars and in
sects which attack the trees, and that
spraying with Bordeaux mixture is
the best method of combating pecan
scab.
Pecan scab is fungus disease
which attacks the nut and the hull,
covering it in such a manner as to
dwarf it and prevent it from maturing.
1t has been known also to attack the
leaves and tender twigs as well.
Pecan scab and pecan rosette are
the two diseases which most serious
ly affect the tree. There is no known
remedy against the rosette, which
causes the ends of the twigs to die
In the fall.
Work On Pecan Scab
The principal experiments on Pc
can scab were conducted last year in
Mitchell county. Bordeaux mixture
1850 was used as a spray. Four
plots were sprayed, each plot being
given a different number of treat
ments during the season. The first
application was made just before the
buds began to swell in the spring,
again in June, and again in July and
August Records were kept of the
plots sprayed and also of an un-
sprayed plot for checking purposes.
The nuts we're collected and tabu-
lated at regular intervals, and notes
were made of the condition of the
trees. Individual records were also
kept of the trees. The results show
ed that unquestioned benefit was OBJ
tanned from the spraying, though com
plete control was not effected.
4 In addition to using Bordeaux mix
ture it is also an excellent idea, says
the state board, to topwork Seeding
trees with varieties that are more re-
sistant. The Stewart displays a great
deal of resistance to this disease.
The scab and rosette are practically
the only two diseases which attack the
pecan in Georgia The trees are more
or less free from scale insects, and
such scales as are occasionally found,
may be easily controlled by lime-sul-
phur and other sprays used for the
San Jose scale.
Many Harmful Insects.
But while the diseases which at
tack the tree are limited practically
to the two above mentioned, there
are at least forty different species
of insects capable of working harm
in the pecan orchard. The pecan
bud moth is a yellowish or pale
green worm of the caterpillar variety,
with a dark head 1t feeds on young
buds, tender twigs and leaves. There
are several generations of it, the first
of which comes in May. 1t should be
| SDl dy Gu Will dl oSldIC VI ASoO OOhOh z
it works harm to the buds.
Another pest that can be controll-
ed by spraying with arsenate of lead
is the pecan case bearer, an insect
which forms a case around itself for
protection. There are two species of
case bearer, one of which attacks the
young buds and twigs, while the 9th
err eats holes in the leaves and de-
yours the blossoms.
Experiments have shown that
thorough spraying with arsenate of
lead kills very large percentage of
these insects. Powdered arsenate, l
and IL pounds to so gallons of wa
ter should be used A barrel sprayer
is ali right, if you can reach the tops
of the trees with it, but power
sprayer is, of course, preferable.
Burn The Web Worms
Another enemy is the fall web
worm, a grayish or brownish cater
pillar, which natures in large white
web, which it leaves to go to other
parts of the tree. The best method
is to burn with a kerosene or light
wood torch before they leave their
webs. After they have spread over
the trees, the arsenate of lead spray
may be used.
The pecan leaf caterpillar is rather
large and dark. Just prior to shed
: ding their skins, they leave the
branches and congregate on the trunk
in ball-like clusters. Spray in the
branches, or kill by burning when
clustered.
The best way to deal with the pc.
can tree borer is to dig it out with
knife The wound should be closed
with grating wax.
The pecan girdler is beetle which
girdles the limbs, thus pruning them
off. The female deposits her eggs on
the girdled branches. Gather and burn
these branches during the winter.
The only way to prevent the pecan
or hickory nut weevil, which bores
holes in the nuts. from spreading, is