Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-16
INSECT PESTS
ARE NUMEROUS
State Afflicted by a Number
of Enterprising and De-
structive Bugs Now

While the wheat. corn, oats and
buckwheat crops of Pennsylvania
escaped this year with only occa-
sional adverse weather conditions to
contend with, the food-producmg
trees. shrubs and plants and some
of the useful and ornamental trees
of the state were afflicted with ten
kinds of insect pests, including the
ever-present chestnut blight.
The cereals did not suffer gener-
ally so that there is a fair total to
each crop, but potatoes, which had
reached the record-breaking produc-
ton of S0,653,209 bushels in 1871
fell off close to 100000 bushels,
largely because of pests. Three spe-
cies of pests attacked the potatoes
although in some way the great Le-
high county belt, the mainstay of
the Keystone States potato crop,
was not so severely affected. Lehigh
raised 1,543,900 bushels this year,
wrestling first place from Lancaster
which had taken 1t because of
squirt last year when it raised 1,717,-
600 bushels, only to suffer decline
of 10000 bushels this year and go
down to sixth or seventh place.
The most serious foe of the potatoes
came naturally from Germany.
Some potatoes affected with the
wart, the most deadly of potato
pests, were sneaked into this coun-
rty some years ago and were sold
for seed in the lower anthracite
field. Whole communities in Schuyl-
kill and adjoining counties had to
be quarantined as far as shipment
of homegrown potatoes went and
the crops to be rooted up and de-
stroyed. The early blight seemed
to have been general. 1t is pre-
sumably due to the fact that the
multitude of war gardeners last year
did not clear away their plots ana
destroy the vines. The third potato
enemy was the aphis, first cousin
to the woolly aphis of infamous or
chard reputation. The wart is be-
ing controlled, but the blight has to
he guarded against, say the state
biologists. who are also on the trail
of the aphis.
The oriental poach moth, a Chi
nese pest which preys upon the
peach, plum. apricot and similar
fruits, has turned up in southwest
ern counties which are close to
Maryland and Delaware and is a
matter of interstate concern. Eff
forts to confine it to restricted To-
destructive and in the language of
one of the entomologists here. "or-
ientally subtle" The national gov
ernment is working with the states
to check it and stringent nursery
regulations may be made as we'll as
inspections of orchards. This pest
has not yet gotten into the South
Mountain peach belt as far as
known. That section contains hun
dreds of thousands of peach trees.
The San Jose scale has developed
a new outburst of frightfulness
among orchards on the northern tier
and state inspectors are working
against it and a spraying campaign
is in full swing. In years gone by
this pest cost the state thousands
of dollars, but it needs constant po-
lice work.
The red apple bug, a sort of insect
weasel, is reported from few or
chards in Franklin county, but own
ers are on the alert for it. These
pests and their near relatives have
also damaged some small fruits this
year.
The white pine blister seems to
have been cleared out, but is re-
ported so near to state borders that
vigilance is being exercised to pre-
vent last springs trouble. The popu-
lar canker, a pest which destroys
the roadside trees, has been found
in isolated parts of Chester and ad-
joining counties and that pernic-
iously active bug known as the To-
Gust leaf miner, has affected many
black locust trees throughout the
state. Black locust has been in de-
mand for material for shipbuilding
and number of trees have been
found damaged where not suspected
until examined for cutting.
The State Department of Agricul-
tures men are getting ready to go
into the new year prepared for bat
tie against the pests.