The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-05-13

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agricultural
Spraying, compared with its cost, is
one of the most profitable forms of
orchard work, and one of the most
likely to be neglected or Inisdirected,
according to specialists Of the United
States Department of Agriculture.
There is need that fruit growers have
more intimate knowledge of spray
ing materials, Spraying machinery, and
especially the why's and wherefores
of spraying. The up-to-date orchard
list must know just what each spray
application will do and the proper
time and method for applying it.
Necessary to Know How insects Feed
A better knowledge Of the life and
habits Of the more common insect
pests and of the nature of insecticides
will add much to the efficiency Of con-
troll measures. The general character
Of sprays to be used depends on the
character of the mouth parts of the
Insects.
Broadly speaking, all insects secure
their food in one of two ways: ID
BY actually biting cut and swallowing
portions of the food material; ~
by sucking out the juices. The first
type includes caterpillars or the
larvae of moths and butterflies, adult
beetles and their grubs, grasshoppers,
crickets, sawflies and their larvae,
bees, etc.
All biting insects are subject to de-
struction by arsenicals or other stom-
ach poisons. Some biting insects.
however, such as borers and certain
root-infesting forms, do not feed in
situations where poisons may be ap-
Piled, and for these different treat
ment is necessary.
Among sucking insects may be list
ed plant lice. scale insects, leafhop-
pers, the pearpsylla, and the true bugs,
all very Important enemies of the fruit
grower. For their control the So
called. contact sprays are used, sprays
that corrode the body or permeate the
breathing spores Of the pests or other
wise effect their destruction.
Biting and sucking insects often oc-
cur in a way to permit their destruc-
ton by poisoning the air which they
breathe, as with hydrocyanic-acid gas
or carbon disulphide, but in many
cases the expense and danger make
this method impracticable.
Summer spraying is directed against
bud, leaf, and fruit-eating insects and
for these arsenicals chiefly are used.
Dilute contact insecticides are also
employed in the control of certain In
sects, such as aphids, red bugs leaf
hoppers, etc.
The arsenicals Ia most common use
are arsenate of lead, paris green, and
arsenate of lime, used as strong as
the foliage will stand. The foliage
of stone fruits, as cherry, plum. and
peach. is on the whole quite tender,
and on these arsenicals must be en-
ployed with caution.
The important insecticides may be
grouped principally into these three
series;
Stomach poisons for biting insects
arsenate Of lead, paris green, arsen-
ate Of lime, arsenate Of soda, arsen-
lite Of lead, arsenite of lime, arsenite
of soda, Scheele's green, London pur-
pie white arsenic, hellebore, etc.
Contact sprays for sucking insects
lime-sulphur solution, self-boiled lime
sulphur mixtures, fish-oil soap wash,
kerosene emulsion, crude-petroleum
emulsion, distillate emulsion, nicotine
solution, pyrethrum, caustic soda,
caustie potash, carbolic-acid emulsion,