Fruit Brevities. 425 



Professor F. W. Card, of the University of Nebraska, to whom 

 I mentioned the disease, gives me the following references to it: 

 Bulletin 45, Ohio Experiment Station, p. 209; American Ento- 

 mologist, i. 225, iii. 62; Illinois Entomological Report, viii. 17; 

 Strong, Fruit Culture, 3d ed. 179; Saunders, Insects Injurious 

 to Fruit, 320. 



The specimens were referred to Mr. Slingerland who reports as 

 follows: " The curling of the shoot is caused by a psylla known 

 as the blackberry flea-louse {Trioza tripunctata). The insect was 

 discovered by Dr. Fitch in 1851, and was common in New Jersey 

 in 1869 and for several vears after. The insect is said to be 

 common on pine trees from Florida to Canada. There are said 

 to be at least tw^o generations annually. I do not know how it 

 winters. It is recommended to cut out and burn all infested 

 tips as soon as discovered. Doubtless much of the curling of the 

 leaves is also due to the psylla, but a plant-louse (species un- 

 known) had also contributed to this injury." 



This insect is sometimes called Psylla ruhi and Psylla tripunc- 

 tata. Thorough spraying with kerosene emulsion before the in- 

 jury has been wrought will probably keep the psylla in check; 

 but in ordinary attacks the collecting and burning of the de- 

 formed clusters as soon as the disease is apparent will be suffi- 

 cient to check the trouble. 



IV. ROOT-GALLS. 



We have many inquiries respecting galls upon the roots of 

 various kinds of fruit trees. These galls are irregular swellings 

 or excrescences upon the roots or upon the main stem just below 

 the ground, ranging in size from that of a pea to one's fist, or 

 even to several inches in diameter upon large trees. They are 

 best known upon nursery stock, because the roots of the tree are 

 exposed for observation. Specimens of affected apple roots are 

 shown in Fig. 131. The galls are probably common upon old 

 trees, however. In our Bulletin 74 (" Impressions of the Peach 

 Industry in Western New York "), I made a discussion and illus- 

 tration of galls taken from large peach trees. Since that time, 



