Show SOUTHERN PLUM APHIS CAUSES MUCH DAMAGE oy dy time fruit reaches Ren clies size of cherry if aphids have not been killed crop Is practically Ies destroyed troyed migrant ny by C E SAN nonN OKLAHOMA AO AG EX STATION every year about the time that tho the 1 plum lum trees of this state begin to f foliate 0 they seem to become infested w with ath a dark colored louse which has white marked legs and antennae this infestation gener generally atly increases in severity seu until u nt 1 l the time that the young plums are about the size of a cherry if meantime the aphids have riot not been subjected by their natural enemies or by artificial remedies the plum crop Is practically destroyed the presence of these lice la Is often first noticed on account ot of the unthrifty or sorry appearance of the tree its new growth Is distorted th the leaves are more or less corrugated and crumpled together on the ventral or lower side the tha terminal bud Is stunted and its growth Is sometimes abruptly terminated many of the blossoms are often killed and I 1 in n cases where the infestation is severe early in the season no fruit la Is set since the ped peduncles uncles of the blossoms become to such an extent that the food f 0 od material in its passage to the yo ung plum is all withdrawn by the tucking sucking processes of the lice tile the form which begins tho the colont colonl lation on the plum tree in the early oaring Is known as the stem mother and hatches from an egg which was placed there the previous fall all these forms being few in number are not often observed they are in general tippe appearance arance however very much like the progeny which accrues from them except that they are more globular in shape have shorter antennae and boney tubes and never acquire wings stem mother and egg while colonizing the grasses throughout the summer season their bodies are brownish in color and aid the white markings on their legs and antennae are not as distinct as in colonies on the plum earlier in the season the colonies are also much smaller and doubtless less prolific As the fall all of 0 the year approaches 1 e the last of october there arises from rom these grass colonies a winged form orm known know n as a migrant which locates on the plum tree there to again found a new colony there are several species of insects which prey upon the plum aphis and in miny many instances the ho former become so numerous that they completely subject tho the latter before it has done dona much damage of these insects the lady bugs buff are the most conspicuous but there are many others which are very beneficial in the application of sprays it Is necessary to do a thorough and complete job in order to do this goo good spray pumps provided provid ed with first class clasa nozzles ozz les are necessary at any unit after the eggs have been bee n deposited in the fall and before the buds begin to swell in the spring tho the following spray should be used lime 16 pounds sulphur 15 pounds I 1 water 61 60 gallons mix alix the sulphur with a small quantity ot of water to form a paste place in an iron kettle or a similar vessel with enough water to form a thin solution add ape he lime after slait slaking u g it an and bori 1011 tu th mixture fol foi about forty five minutes or until it becomes dark amber in color this diluted according to the formula should be applied to the egg infested trees it will riot not only destroy the eggs but bul such other insects as bark lice ot or scales that hat may be present |