The Little River news., 1916-03-29
ORCHARD AND GARDEN CROPS
No. {. Fighting Insects and Diseases.
By J. s. knox, Extension Horticultur-
 ist, University of Arkansas.

by J. S. huOA, EAlcuS1On f1OTtlCulluT- ist, University of Arkansas. The man who expects to grow q hrst class crop of fruit under pres ent conditions must be prepared to 1 fight the various kinds of insects and diseases that attack the crop. Every year there are thousands of orchards over the country being killed or dam aged to such an extent that they will nevey yield profitable crop to the ! owner, just because he has not used the proper precautions to keep these diseases and insects under control.
 Kinds of Insects: All of the or chard insects come under one of two i heads. First there is a type of insect which takes it's food supply from the plant by means of @ sharp beak or proboscis like that of the mosquito. In order to control insects of this type it is necessary to spray with some strong solution which when it comes in contact with the body of the insect will stop up the breathing pores and thus cause death. Insects belong
 
 Aphids of various types, Oyster Shell Scale. Harlequin or cabbage bugs and some of the Squash bugs. The sec ond kind of insects take their fcod supply by eating portions of the fruit or leaves and this type of insect is killed by spraying with a poison sucn as lead arsenate or Paris green. This kind of insect is much more apt to be noticed than the other because the damage it does is much easier seen than is that of the sucking insect. However, either type of insect can and often does enough damage to pre- vent the growing of first class fruit This is especially true in orchards where no effort is made to control them. Among the insects which take their food by eating the fruit or the leaves are Cooling moth. canker worms, webb worms, caterpillar. cur culios and others.
 Kinds of Diseases: There are hum dreds of different diseases that attack the different kinds of plants. but only a comparatively small number do any serious damage to the fruit crop and often two or three of these can be controlled by the same kind of spray 1 material. Among the most serious diseases attacking the fruit crop are blotch, scab, bitter rot. rust, brown rot of stone fruits, and black rot and mildew of grapes. The most serious diseases of the tree itself are cankers, rust. blight, leaf spots, crown gall, root rot.
 Spray Materials: There are as many different kinds of spray ma terial on the market as there are dis eases to control, yet there are con- partively few of these which are used to any great extent in our orchards. Lead arsenate either in the form Of paste or powder is the principal poi son used. However, Paris Green is used to a considerable extent in some instances. Bordeaux mixture, which is a solution made of lime and cop per sulphate or blue stone, is one of the best fungicides, and lime sulphur, solution of lime and sulphur of diff ferent proportions, is used both as an insectitude and as fungicide. Coal oil emulsion is solution of coal oil, soap and water of varying proportions is also quite commonly used as an insecticide as we'll as are various kinds of tobacco preparations.
 Spraying: For best results spray ing must be thoroughly done. The spray is only preventive at best and does not replace or cure damage al- ready done. It protects only the part of the fruit or tree which is covered by the solution, hence the importance of thoroughness. If one leaves only portion of a twig uncovered when spraying for San Jose scale. this small limp will be the means of spreading the scale over the whole tree before the year is over and pos sibly get it started on other trees. Sometimes several sprayings may be necessary in order to eradicate dis. ease or insect and this is not infre- auently the case with the most com mon of the orchard pests. Some of the orchardists spray from five to eight times each year for scab, bitter rot, cooling moth, etc. In order to have the desired effect, the spraying must be done at the proper time. Often a days difference in time makes a big diffrenee in the results obtained, so promptness as well as thoroughness counts in the spraying business The th5ns t appeals 0 every orchardist, however is that by doing the work thoroughly and promptly he can grow a crop of fruit that is credit to any section.