ILLINOIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 257 



To a liorticultiirist liavingr any enthusiasiii for liis pursuit. It Is always a matter of refrret tliat tlu' 

 great si-ifiicc wliirli uiiik rlies all organic I'xlsteiK-e is an unpopular stiiily— that all tlicse vital ((ucs- 

 tions of "(icvilopnicnt," "variation," " iuln-ritancc, '' " hybritlizatiou, "' anil "selection," are 

 yet sealed and liidilen from so many of our youth, who are to he in time the producers of the nation. 

 As horticulturists, then, let us seek to simplify and utilize the science of botany, and make it a 

 powerful agent in tbe development of the youthfid mind. 



Dr. Mj'gatt, ol Richmond, made a short report on Entomology. He called attention 

 to the o\ jster-sliell bark louse, whieh was not now so destructive as it was a dozen 

 years ago. 



THK OYSTEU-SIIELL I'.AltK LOISK. 



For sixteen years past the writer has watched the effect of these insects on our fruit trees— on 

 the apple and pear very closely. They evidently do less injury to the trees than they did twelve to 

 lifteen years ago. This is accounted for l)y our late lamented Walsh and Dr. Sliimer in the fact that 

 a very minute Insect, called a mite, pierces the shell and <lestroys the eggs Ixfore they are hatched. 

 The aspideotus coui'hilormis, or common brown variity, are found on the apple, currant, and 

 mountain ash, also a very few on the pear and crab apple, but never do any damage to the piar and 

 erab apple. 



It is very im|>ortant for all to know the time of hatching, as that should guide us in our n'Uiedies, 

 as most remedies are mucli more efficient soon after hatching. I propose a rule which, to me, has 

 been lnvarial)le. It is useless to try to lind the young insects before the petals of the apple blossom 

 have fallen and the young apple begins to grow, say the size of a large i>ea: tlieu watcli closely and 

 you will see them— a minute white insect— crawling lively for a few hours. They then pierce the 

 tender bark with their beak, and become sap-suekers for the summer, and never move after they 

 liave pierced the liark. They tix on every part of the tree, from the ground to the farthest branch. 

 On the body and large branches of the tree they get under tbe rough bark and find shelter and succu- 

 lent and tendi'r bark to llx on. Some tix on the extreme branches, and even a few on the young 

 apple, and young growtli so far as it is ileveloped. It is my opinion that the active state is very short 

 if they tind a place that suits them to tix. Wlien you can see tliem numerous one day, you will tind 

 very few in nn)tion the next day. When they get on tlie ground or dry lind)S, or lialdi on recently 

 l)runed liml)S, they remain active longer. The time of hatching, of course, varies with the season, 

 in Northern Illinois say from the 25th of May to tlie lUth of June. The insects were active in niy 

 orchard last summer on the 7th day of June. The growth of the insect is gradual, but by August it 

 has its fidl size, and during the latter part of that month, if the scale of tbe new insect is lifted, eggs 

 will be found, some twenty or thirty under each scale. If any one desires to .see the egg, let them 

 cut otf a small infested branch and take it to a room out of the winil, and ovi'r smooth paper raise 

 the scales with a point of a knife, and a white dust will fall, which, when examined with a common 

 magnitler, will be found to be perfect eggs, a little oblong. Harris, in his excellent treati.se oji 

 insects, states that there are two broods each year. In this 1 dift'er with him, having seen no 

 evidence of it. 



How do tliey get from (Uie tree to another? This has lieen a perplexing iinestiou to the entomolo- 

 gist. Some think they are carried by birds. This, to me, seems unite imi)roliable. It is my 

 opinion— that is, 1 gues.s— that they are blown from the infested tree a part of the way to the clean 

 one, and. if not overtaken by storms, a very fiw out of many hundreds reach another tree. I have 

 seen them dro]) otf from the end of a dry limb, aiid.tliiuk thai many might be blown otf or some might 

 crawl down the body to the ground. All this must hapixn in their active state, as alt<'r they are 

 once lixed they never move again. 



THE BEMEDIES. 



The remedies nse<l liefore the hatching seasim, are: 



1st. Stnmg alkaline solutions, as common lye, nearly strong enough to make soap, on the l)o<lies 

 and large lindis, applied with a broom or brn.sh, with a suitable handle. IJut I do not strongly re- 

 connnend the lye— jirefer lard. The body and large limbs should be carefully scraped before a|)i>lying 

 it. 



2d. Grease or oil ai>plied to tlie scales will penetrate them and destroy tlie eggs. It is my opinion 

 that lani or any kind of grease or oil-will destroy them, (iood observers have strong objections to 

 the n:<e of any grease or oily api)lications when the tree is in a dormant state in the winter. 1 have 

 applied lard to many trees in April and Jlay to the certain destruction of the eggs and no api)arent 

 injury to the tree. Applied with a lirusli. 



Soft soap put on after tlie tree is scrajied is only i)artially successful before the hatching period, but 

 very sure when the insects are young— also through all the summer— one of the liesl known remedies, 

 18 



