Milford chronicle., 1935-05-10
EXPERTS STUDY
INSECTS THAT DAMAGE
PEACH CROP


After an extensive study over a
1 period of several years by DR.. l.. A.
Stearns, entOmolOgist, and L. l..
! Williams and w. r. Haden, who
have served as assistant entomolo-
gists at the University of Delaware
Experiment Station IN recent years,
on diseases that damage the peach
crop, a bulletin entitled. Control of
the Plum Curculio in, Delaware" has
just been published and is now
ready for distribution. Some OF the
facts learned during this study and
the control recommendations made
in the publication will be of special
interest to peach growers of the
State and Peninsula.
The publication in part says:
Delaware, for many years, pos
sessed an enYiable reputation as a
peach-producing state Both her
climate and soil are we'll suited for
the growing of such fruit. Large
consuming centers are close at hand.
Although, for various reasons, there
has been a pronounced decline,
since 1910, in the acreage devoted to
this crop, the average total prOduc-
tiOn for Delaware now. apprOximates
1850, 900 bushels, with an average an
nual value exceeding $500, 900.
Protection Is Needed
Adequate protection of this i'm
portant industry from serious dam
age that might be OccasiOned by /
destructive insects is a matter. |
therefore, OF no little concern.
The plum curculiO had long
been recognized locally as an i'm
Dortant factor TO contend with in
he production of a clean crop of
beaches. An extraordinary increase
n the population of this pest in the
richards of southern Delaware was. /.
however. conspicuous feature of
insect developments within the
tate, during the nineteen twen-
les. The causes of this increase.
limatic or otherwise. are still un-
nown. In seasons with a light
rop, such as 1925 Q55,OOO bushels)
nd 1928 100000 bushelsD, extreme %
heavy losses were sustained.
1t was soon evident that the ,
recommended program for control '
I curculiO would not suffice under o.
he conditions of severe infestation
hen prevailing. It included, at
nat time. but a single spray of
ry arsenate of lead at the rate of
pounds per 100 gallons of water I
In combination with self-boiled I
me sulphur, l6-lG-lOO), applied
hen the shucks were being shed.
was also apparent that the de- S
el0pment Of more effective con- {
'ol procedure would require a bet
n understanding of the biology of
lis pest. Consequently, project =
roviding for such research was au- Z
lorized on April 1st. 1928
Two BrOOdS OF Curculio
From a control standpoint. the y
ost important fact disclosed bv K
is investigation is the proof that. -
lrlng recent years, two brOOds of -.
Irculio have been developed an :,
ially in southern Delaware, where fc
, in central and northern Della -
are but a single brood is the nor l.,
al occurrences. An effort is now 81
ing made to determine the casual II
ctors involved. This marked vari-
ION IN the seasonal life history n,
this pest within the State was Sc
obably, in large measure, re- so
onsible for the severity OF the in
station and the unusual control NJ
ficulties encountered in the Ia
idgeVille district III Sussex Coun- ~, M
Spray Recommended
The peach spray program now -
commended includes three appli- ~ ~
ions, the Petal Fall spray (ap- he
ed when The majority OF the -,
ais have drOppedJ the Shuck nj
'ay (applied when one-half of no
peach is exposed by the slip- ito
g Of the shuckD and the First Th
yer spray tapplied two weeks F
err, all Of which are essential De
control Of this insect. They are 2ut
ecially designed TO combat the E1C InC
ivily Of the adult curculios as De
y emerge from Information. First =
-rgence usually occurs shortly be- IT.
2 The date Of application of the lias
al Fail spray and OVerwintered doz
It's are most active during the T9s
od in Which protection is pro- Ia Ia
ID by the Shuck and First Cover nj
iys Dry lead arsenate q pOundsJ ~
hydrated lime Is pOunds) per @ @nlo'
gallons of water should be used Eno
all Of them. Timeliness and Dee
oughness are of the utmost i'm foro
ance for effective results. The T.
program is equally applicable witt
a ia