North Stonington-3 infestations-147 egg-clusters.

In the past two years the infestations found in this town have all been in one section so that this past season only that section was scouted. Three infestations were found and these contained 147 egg-clusters, all but six of which were in one colony. This colony was on land owned by Mr. William Rathburn and was situated in the southeastern part of the town. As this colony was of a serious nature it was sprayed early in the season, as was also one of the other colonies where several caterpillars were found.

Stonington-2 infestations-12 egg-clusters.

The section of Stonington which was scouted last winter showed only two infestations of twelve egg-clusters, but neither of these were of a serious nature.

Groton-No scouting was done in this town last year.

STATISTICS OF INFESTATIONS.

The following table summarizes the work by towns:

EXPERIMENTS IN SPRAYING APPLE ORCHARDS TO CONTROL APHIDS AND FALSE RED-BUG.

By W. E. BRITTON and M. P. ZAPPE.

For several years there has been much damage to the fruit crops in certain apple orchards from the attacks of red bugs and aphids. The false apple red bug, Lygidea mendax Reut., is responsible for the red bug injury (See Plate III) as the true red bug, Heterocordylus malinus Reut. has not yet been found in Connecticut. The false or lined red bug was first observed in Greenwich in the southwest corner of the State and it has caused injury there each year since, and has gradually extended northward and eastward. We have no evidence to show that it occurs throughout the State, though probably such is the case. tainly, orchards here and there are not injured by it and it seems to be more prevalent in the southwestern portion than elsewhere in the State.

The rosy apple aphis, Aphis sorbi Kalt., is the species chiefly responsible for the aphid injury to the fruit. This species attacks the leaves and young fruit of the fruit clusters, dwarfing and deforming the apples, while the green apple aphis, A. pomi. Degeer, occurs more particularly on the leaves of water sprouts and terminal twigs. During 1917 the rosy aphis was also on the foliage of the terminal branches, but it is usually found in more shaded situations inside the crown or head of the tree.

In order to obtain data regarding the effect of nicotine sprays on these insects, some tests were conducted in the orchards of S. A. Smith & Son, Clintonville, and Frank N. Platt, Milford. The details of the treatment and results obtained are given with comments under the headings below. The fruit was not thinned in either orchard. All fruit was examined at harvest and scored as regards all insect injuries. This required a careful inspection of 98,652 apples.

SMITH'S ORCHARD, CLINTONVILLE.

The orchard consists of 6 rows of trees running nearly north: and south with 11 trees in a row. The rows were numbered 1-6, beginning on the east side. Beginning at the north end the trees were numbered 1-11; the first five trees in each row are

Baldwins, the next tree is an Ohio Nonpareil, and the other five are Greenings, except for a tree here and there which has been top-grafted to Opalescent.

On May 21, four rows of trees in this orchard were sprayed with the following mixture:

Row 2 and 5 were left as checks and were not treated with nicotine solution but were sprayed later with lead arsenate and lime-sulphur. A few trees were not sprayed at this time because the blossoms were nearly open and bees were working in them. These exceptions were tree No. 6 in each row (all Ohio Nonpareil) and tree No. 9 in row I, and trees Nos. 9 and 10 in row III (Greenings).

The spraying outfit consisted of a kerosene tractor used to work the pump and to haul the 100-gallon spray tank. A small gasoline engine mounted on the spray-tank was used to agitate the mixture. This outfit is shown on Plate II, b. The spray was applied from two lines of hose, throwing in opposite directions. One man sprayed up through the tree and the other down from the top. The pressure used was from 175 to 200 lbs. The weather conditions were ideal for spraying.

The second spraying with nicotine solution was given only to rows I and VI on June 4. The rest of the orchard was sprayed with lead arsenate and lime-sulphur but no Black Leaf 40 was used.

The fruit was picked and scored during the week of September

24-29.

The red bug injury was not serious in this orchard and it was difficult to find specimens. Nevertheless, the insect was present and was hatched from twigs cut early in the spring. The injury was slightly reduced by the treatment.

Aphids were a much more serious menace, however. Certain trees showed a large proportion of aphis apples at harvest. This injury was greatest on one of the check rows and was least where two treatments were given. A summary of the results appears in the following table:

The section of orchard used in these tests has 8 rows of trees running nearly east and west. The four rows on the north side are Baldwin and the other four rows are Greening, Smokehouse, White and King. The rows were lettered A to H from south to north, and the trees in each row numbered 1 to 12 from west to east. The two rows in the center of the orchard were not sprayed with nicotine but left for checks. This orchard was given only one spraying and that on the afternoons of June 12, 13, 14 and 15, after the petals had fallen. The spray outfit was a common horizontal cylinder hand pump, mounted on a 100gallon tank. Two lines of hose were used, one man spraying from a tower on the tank and the other from the ground. The pressure was not sufficient for the best results, as the trees were compact and the foliage was heavy. With this pressure the spray could not be driven through the crown of the tree. The fruit was picked and scored on August 31, October 4, 8, and 18. The crop was very light-especially the Baldwins-many trees having no fruit at all.

Some had

There was

There was much red bug injury in this orchard. already been done before the nicotine was applied. also considerable injury from aphis, which would in part have been prevented by an earlier application. The spray mixture was substantially the same as used in the Smith orchard. See page 260.

* One treatment. Check.

** Two treatments.

A summary of the results are given in the following table:

SUMMARY OF RESULTS OF SPRAYING TREATMENT.

Row Good Red Bug

В

47

20

48.

28

D*

37

44

E*

30

39

66

13

60

07

21

02

002

1,576

We believe that the spraying should be done earlier next year. The branches should be thinned out to let in more light and air. More effective spraying can unquestionably be done with larger pump or power outfit, capable of maintaining a pressure of from 200 to 300 lbs. per square inch.

We hope to continue the experiments another year.

THE STRIPED CUCUMBER BEETLE.

Diabrotica vittata Fabr.

Order Coleoptera; Family Chrysomelidae.
BY QUINCY S. LOWRY.

For the past few years Connecticut gardeners have had considerable difficulty in growing cucumbers and squashes, due to the fact that the striped cucumber beetle has been so destructive. Consequently, in 1916 and again in 1917, one-half acre of ground was set aside at the Station farm at Mt. Carmel to carry on field experiments for controlling this and other pests of the cucumber and squash.

These small, yellow and blacked striped beetles, shown on plate IV, b, and in figure 2, are voracious feeders, not only on cucumbers but other cucurbitaceous plants, often causing the entire destruction of the first planting. In both 1916 and 1917 these beetles necessitated a complete second sowing of seed.

DISTRIBUTION AND HISTORY.

The striped cucumber beetle is especially abundant and destructive in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains and

* Rows D and E, checks.