Evening journal., 1921-07-20
APHIDS HURT
STATE Trees
Only Spray Can Save Plant
Foliage Not Already
Ruined
INSECT SUCKS
OUT LIFE JUICE

Have you noticed the white oak
3eaves curled up and brown-have
you seen the young shoots on the
apple tree wilted and limp - have
you observed maple leaves covered
with a sticky substance which gives
them an appearance of being var
nished has you attention been
called to the swarms OF ants march,
ing up and down the trunks of az
fected trees? Follow up any or all
of these clues and You VIII find the
fwigs and the under side OF leaves
literally swarming with little insects
which are known as plant lice or
aphids They are the invading army,
and they should be met with spray
pumps and showers OF poison spray.
Though the entomologists tell us
that there are about 325 species, so
that there is one kind for almost
every variety OF plant. yet they all
have the common characteristic OF
being extremely small and so soft
bodied and tender that you can
hardly pick one up without killing
It. The question then naturally
AAloIcN AAOM NtAh D11AA a A'4ANeAN0 "
ganism become such a menace to
thrifty trees. and the answer is
mum mbers--sheer overwhelming num-
bersl The aphids are the charter
members of the anti-race suicide
club.
BY way of a bit of arithmetic, let's
follow one egg through a summer
season. just one ogg that was tucked
away In a sheltered crevice in the
bark over winter and Matched out
about the time the leaves burst forth
on Neighbor Browns vigorous young
cherry tree. This young aphid is a
female. and when about three days
old she is mature enough to produce
young aphids asexually-there is no
waiting for eggs TO hatch, the young
are produced alive at the rate OF
about 10 a day-all females. and
each of those 10 in turn when from
to days old. is capable of produc-
ing young female aphids alive at the
same rate as the parent--so at the
end Of the first two weeks we have
the amazing total Of 1.54s. 726 aphids,
at least that was the number we OBJ
t14hcu jlnt btAtlt We uhoNe eht otN-
ing machine
Now, II weather conditions were
favorable, this multiplication could
continue until fall. at which time the
original female would have become
the progenitor OF nearly six billion
offspring. You will have to take the
scientists word for that, for, as
mentioned before. the adding ma
chine refused to register after the
first million and half. Fortunately
for us, they are generally. cold, wet
spring days which the tender aphids
are unable to survive, but this year a
mild winter allowed many eggs tc
survive and then a succession of hot
muggy days has enabled the aphidf
to get a good start toward that six
billion mark.
The aphid does not eat the leaves
or tender shoots. he sticks a pump
he has for that purpose into the
leaves and tender stems and sucks
out the plant juices. Deprived OF
their proper amount OF moisture, the
leaves at once start 20 curl and
wither. while the young shoots be-
come wilted and eventually die. In
the case OF the Norway maple, Il was
noted this year many leaves we're so
badly infested with the aphids as to
fall off. stem and all. while stnl
green. The sap, after passing through
the aphid's body, Is elected In those
sticky drops known as ''honey dew
which gives the leaves such a var
nished appearance. The ants are
very fond Of this honey. in fact, ths
aphids have been called the ants
COWS. because they take this dew
from them so regularly.
In ordinary years our childhood'l
friend-the dainty little lady beeti
-sonsumes such enormous quaint
ties OF tho aphics as 10 keep then
prstty wen under control. But thi
year. as an emergency measure. ne
cessitated by conditions already de
scrlbed, we must check them our
selves.
Since these insects are leaf sucker
and not leaf eaters, we must NEE
them with a spray attack a chemica
solution powerful enough TO kin tn
aphids the minute is strikes then
and with enough soap in the solutio
to smother in a soap film those IN
poison does not kill. One that wi
not harm the foliage but will b
nevertheless effective is nicotine SUI
phate, commonly known as blac
leaf 80, a prepartion which can b
obtained. with proper directions fc
strength OF mixture and methods {
application from any reliable soc
house or hardware store.
AS TO Damage-These aphids car
not kill trees in one season. but the
can appreciably retard the growth {
fruit, and they can make a city
shade trees unsightiy to look at an
unpleasant TO walk beneath. Della
is costly-to be informed should b
to act