Smyrna times., 1926-08-11
COMBATING JAPANESE BEETLE
Chamber of Commerce, Wilmington,
Tell of Effective Sprays To Be
Used for Their determination

1C1I VI IneCLINe sprays 10 DC
Used for Their determination
In a bulletin just received by the
Chamber of Commerce, Wilmington,
issued by the Department of Agricul-
ture, some valuable information is
given as to the manner of combating
the Japanese Beetle pest. The bull
letin deals mostly with the sprays to
be used. The bulletin in part, says:
"On early and late apples it is recon-
mended to spray with 8 pounds of
powdered arsenate of lead, 2 pounds
Of flour to so gallons of water. The
spraying should be done thoroughly
and all parts of the foliage and fruit
should be covered. In the case of
early ripening varieties of apples
which must be sprayed shortly before
the time of harvest, any residue re-
naming on the fruit when they are
picked should be carefully removed by
wiping or washing them. Certain
varieties ripen SO soon after the time
of appearance of the Japanese beetle
that it is not recommended to spray
them until the crop has been harvest
ed, in which case it may be necessary
to spray the foliage in order to pro-
tect is against further attacks of the
beetle. This applies particularly in
the case of the star variety. In the
case Of Williams Early Red and Yel-
low Transparent varieties it is almost
necessary to spray them in order ts
protect the fruit against the attacks
of the insects.
Sprays Used for Peaches and Grapes
early ripening varieties of peach
es, such as Carmen, Red Bird, or
Rochester should not be sprayed with
any arsenical for the control of the
japanese beetle. Later ripening var
ieties or trees which are not bearing
fruit may be sprayed with u pounds
of arsenate of lead (powder) to which
is added 12.5 pounds of the New Jer-
sey standard Drymix (sulfur, 8
pounds, hydrated lime pounds, and
spreader 0.5 pounds), and 6 additional
pounds of hydrated lime In certain
cases where the concentration of
beetles has become very heavy on the
fruit of early ripening peaches, it may
be possible to spray them with con-
tact material, such as pyrethrum soap,
which will kill the insects on contact
and will greatly reduce the infestation
on the plants, probably sufficient to
carry the fruit over four or five days,
which is necessary in order to bring
it to maturity. "In the protection of
grapes against the attack of the Jap
anese beetle it should be remembered
that the punches Of fruit are never
eaten by the Japanese beetle. 1t is
therefore necessary that the spray be
applied to the foliage only. For the
protection of the grape foliage Bor-
deaux Mixture, prepared according to
the 4-5-50 formula should be used.
Three pounds of arsenate of lead
powder should be added to each so
gallons of the Bordeaux Mixture and
care should be taken in its application
to have as little 60 on the fruit clust-
ers as is possible. Grapes should not
be sprayed later than July 5.
Shade Trees and Other Plant Sprays
at is recommended that shade trees
rose bushes and other ornamental
plants which can be sprayed with ar
senate Of lead without injury, should
be sprayed with coated arsenate of
lead, which is now on the market, at
the rate Of pounds to so gallons of
water. No flour or lime should be
added to this mixture The advant-
i age of the coated lead is that it re
mains on the foliage much longer and
in a much more uniform coating than
does the arsenate of lead and flour.
| The results which have been obtained
at this laboratory indicate that a
much higher kill of the insects is OBJ
tanned where the coated arsenate of
/ lead is used. "In some cases it is de-
sirable to use a contact spray or a
material which will kill the beetles as
it strikes them, but does not have any
poisonous properties which make it
effective after the application is made
In such cases there are at least two
brands of pyrethrum soap now on the
market, which are reported to be pre-
pared according to the formula recon-
mended by the Japanese Beetle La
boratory. The pyrethrum soap has
proven to be excellent contact insect
icide for the Japanese beetle and
where the beetles are concentrated in
large numbers they can be killed read
lily with this material. No foliage in
jury resulted from two applications of
this spray to tender foliage. For the
time being, however, one application
only is recommended"