OCR Text |
Show New Insect Is Injuring Apple Crop in New York A new insect of apples appeared in western New 1'ork last s-ummer. It Is the apple and thorn skeletouizef, and it was responsible for the browning brown-ing and blighting of the foliage which was so noticeable along the highways, especially in unsprayed or poorly sprayed orchards. According to authorities of the experiment ex-periment station at Geneva, the insect it new in New York, although it is well established in Europe. It was first discovered in the United States in the lower Hudson River valley in 1017. It has since spread up the valley val-ley to Albany, eastward into Connecticut Connecti-cut and Massachusetts, and westward in New York. Last reason was the first one in which the injury was extensive ex-tensive enough to attract attention. The apple is the preferred food plant of the skeletonizer. The caterpillars cater-pillars feed almost entirely upon the upper surface of the leaves. When full grown, they are about half an inch long, yellowish green in color and are marked with tiny black spots. Tiiree generations usually develop between June and October. The first brood cause? the most damage. In cases of severe injury, the fruit Is often poorly colored and undersized, and iu cases of complete defoliation the succeeding year's crop may be lost. The skeletonizer may be killed readily read-ily by applications of arsenate of lead. Trees which receive the regular apple spray schedule throughout the season usually suffer little if any injury from this pest.' |