The Donaldsonville chief., 1919-02-15
FRUIT TREE PESTS.
Effective Remedies for Control of
San Jose Scale and Peach Borer.

Effective Remedies for Control of
| San Jose Scale and Peach Borer.
Why should not the people of AS
;ension have as nice and healthy
looking trees, and as juicy and sweet
fruit in the dawn of spring and the
lot, scorching days of summer, as
have our fellow Louisianians in the
sixty-three other parishes of our
state?
Yes, we can do equally as well if
not better than many of them, if we
| viii only exert ourselves tiny bit to
Ilearn the A, B, C of the problems our
| fruit trees are encountering almost
daily in their lives.
The San Jose scale is by far the
most prevalent and harmful fruit
tree pest have seen in my tours Of
tn parish. How can th& San Jose
scale be detected? 1t is very small,
grayish, circular insect found on the
trunk, limbs, branches and sometimes
on the fruit and leaves of the tree.
\ badly infested tree has it's bark
changed to an ash gray color. If
this pest is not controlled it will in
crease very rapidly, and though in the
early stages it will only stunt the
tree and Tetard its growth, as they
become more numerous the branches
Of the tree viii be found to die one
or two at time, until finally the
whole tree will dry up.
How can the pest be controlled?
By giving thorough spraying in this
season of the year with solution
known commercially as the lime
sulphur wash. Add water according
to directions on container and spray,
this being done in winter when the
ssree is in a dormant condition. So as
to giXe an idea Of the quantity that
is needed, I would say that | 1-2
pints will maks5 gallons Of spray,
and i 4-2 gallons will make so gal
Ions of spray sls your druggist o.
merchant for Lsme sulphur concen-
trate, 33 degrees on the Beaume
scale Then watch the disappear
ance of the sanIJ jose scale from your
trees.
Should one prefer to make this
mixture at honas rather than buy it,
directions are given herewith:
Use pounds Of rock lime Cor s.
l-2 pounds Of hydrated lime), 10
pounds Of suhphur, 5 gallons Of
water. If it il aesired to make larg-
erur srrla1lsr u the wasf,
the materials shbuld be increased or
reduced proportionately. Stake the
lime gradually and sift finely pulver-
zed sulphur on the shaking lime.
After the lime has stopped shaking
and the sulphur and lime have been
mixed, add the rest of
che water. Boil this mixture for
about an hour and a half. If some of |
the water boils over or evaporates
due to boiling, it must be replaced to |
keep the proportion. The boiling
Of the lime sulphur may be done by
fire buiR under an iron. pot. Be sure
to stir the mixture, while boiling, |
with q paddle. After it das boiled
For sufficient length Of time, which |
IS one hour and a half, it should be
poured and strained into a separate
:essel. This solution will keep in
definitely if placed in well stoppered
containers and can be used whenever
needed. In using this solution, dilute
,ne gallon in nine gallons of water,
md spray.
Call upon the writer for demonstra-
ion, if you are in the least doubt
about any Of the above explained
points.
Perhaps the next most commonly
.ound fruit tree insect is the peach
oorer, which attacks the tree by
,urrowing a hole under the bark just
below the surface Of the ground,
sometimes girdling the tree and
hereby causing its death. This pest
$ usually detected by the exudation
# gummy substance.
HoA can the peach boreA be con-
rolled? By carefully Wofhing the
rec in the spring and fall of each
rear. After raking away the dirt at
he base, locate the hole made by the
,orer in the tree and then with a
harp knife cut away small portion
if the bark, and If the worm is not
'ound, run a sharp wire up in the
lole so as to kill the worm; hence,
Jest number two is eliminated.
As these are the most prevalent,
and destructive pests in
his parish, | shall be contented to
,xtend my A, B, C's no further, un-
il these two have come under
borough control.
Yours for the spraying Of your
rees,
). OSWALD MoNTEGUT,
Parish Farm Agent.