Productive Orcharding; Modern Methods of Growing and Marketing Fruit

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1914 Excerpt: ... is, but there seems to be considerable evidence to show that the bees may be killed by such a spray. It is also probable that the pistils may be injured if the spraying is done just when they are in the most tender condition, which is when the trees are in " full bloom." In any event there seems to be nothing gained by spraying when trees are in bloom, over spraying just after the petals fall. It is certainly worth while to avoid any chance of injuring either the bees or the blossoms. Aphis.--This is the most discouraging group to fight, of all the "bugs." So far as winning the fight is concerned the writer had far sooner tackle the San Jose scale. With the latter there is a well-defined course of treatment, and if one follows this carefully there is no question about success. With the aphis one never knows quite what to do, and when the best possible has been done, the result usually leaves much to be desired. The life history of the aphis is as follows: It passes the winter in the egg state and these eggs will be found as little, shiny black objects looking much like weed seeds, clustered about the buds on last year's growth. They hatch very early in the spring, usually before the buds open, into little, dark green, almost black, lice which will be found on the expanding buds, and, later, on the under side of the leaves. The leaves soon curl up and protect the insects almost perfectly. The later generations of the young are produced alive, and as it requires but a few days to reach maturity and as each adult female will produce several young in a day, they increase with great rapidity. This makes their control a serious matter. Control.--Now, what shall be done to check this insect? As already suggested, in the general discussion, thi...