60 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [Jan. 2, IQ20. 



with two deep parallel furrows, three well-defined black ridges. The thorax 

 is very coarsely and irregularly corrugated, and the wing covers are barred 

 with shallow parallel furrows, bearing rows of large punctures. The ground 

 colour of the beetles is black, but the whole surface from the tip of the snout 

 to the tips of the tarsi is so thickly covered with feather-like scales and the 

 tarsi and antennae with fine hairs that hardly any of the ground colour is 

 visible. These scales are reddish buff, with scattered white ones inter- 

 spersed or forming small patches among them. Some (particularly round 

 the eyes) are iridescent and pale opaline pink. On the legs there are other 

 scattered longer spiny-shaped scales. 



Protective Measures. 



We have found that the beetles emerge from the soil from the early part 

 of September until the end of November. If we can prevent them from 

 gaining access to the foliage, and capture them when ascending the tree trunk, 

 it will be possible to save the roots. A simple method would be to fix an 

 inverted funnel or frill of tin or stiff oiled paper, over which the beetles 

 could not crawl, round the trunk, about a foot from the ground, and to go 

 round every week in the beetle season collecting and destroying those 

 sheltering under the obstiuction. Tliey would be much moi'e easily discovered 

 there than under the foliage. 



To capture the small larvse crawling down the trunk, a band of paper 

 smeared with sticky mattei- could be tied round it v/ell up from the ground. 

 Spraying the topmost foliage with arsenate of lead would kill the foliage- 

 eating beetles if it was found that they hud reached the leaves. 



Treatment oe Akmillaria with Iron Sulphate. 



A TREATMENT which is claimed to have saved many apple trees from armil- 

 laria is practised by Messrs. Sim, of Capertee. The fungus, it may be 

 remarked, will sometimes remain about the roots of a tree for a long time 

 before it makes sufficient imoads to produce marked manifestations in the 

 tree of its presence. The ingredient used in the protective treatment 

 referred to is sulphate of iron, in the projiortion of 1 lb. to 2 gallons of 

 water. The orchardists above mentioned replied to an inquiry from the 

 Department as to the application of the treatment as follows :- — 



The quantity applied to the trees depends upon the area affected. Our 

 method is to bare the roots, scrape the affected .parts, and pour on the 

 solution from a watering can. In bad cases the soil in the vicinity of the 

 parts attacked is saturated as a safeguard against reinfection. A gallon 

 of the solution may be necessary in a severe case, and its use would be in no 

 way harmful to the tree. 



" It is well to learn all we can to enable us to make the best use of our 

 fruit," wrote a Henty correspondent in applying for a copy of "Fruit 

 Preserving, &c." " Many thanks for the last fine budget of bulletins." 



