974 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



egg state, the life cycle is probably not shorter than 50 days. A 

 description is given of the different stages of the insect, and as a pre- 

 ventive treatment the author states that probably the best means 

 would be to pick off and burn the rolled up leaves as soon as observed. 

 The use of Paris green or some other arsenite might be of value, but 

 from the feeding habit of the insect many would doubtless escape 

 poisoning. 



The report concludes with descriptions and notes on Pyrantels cardui, 

 the larvse of which has been observed for the past 2 years feeding upon 

 prickly comfrey grown in the station grounds. 



A serious attack on the apple fruit by Argyresthia conjugella 

 in Europe, E. Reuter (Ganad. Ent., 31 (1899), No. l,pp. 12-14).— The 

 presence of this new apple pest in British Columbia has been mentioned 

 in the report of the Canadian Experimental Farms for 189G (E. S. R., 

 10, p. 856), in which it is stated that the injuries done closely resemble 

 those caused by the apple maggot (Trypeta pomonella). The caterpil- 

 lars tunnel the pulp of the fruit, leaving brown colored channels, with 

 rather large chambers here and there; this attack thus being easily 

 distinguishable from that of the common codling worm. 



According to the author, during the summer of 1898, there was an 

 unexpected and violent attack of this insect on the apple in Finland. 

 In Finland this insect ordinarily feeds on the fruit of the mountain ash 

 and sometimes on that of the bird cherry, but in the summer of 1898 

 the fruit of both of these failed almost entirely and the insect, not find- 

 ing its ordinary food, swarmed in immense numbers to the apple trees. 



On the relations of a species of ant (Lasius americanus) to the 

 peach-root louse, F. M. Webster (Ganad. Ent., 31 (1899), No.l,pp. 

 15, 16).— The author has had occasion to study the root louse on the 

 roots of young peach trees and has been impressed with the attention 

 given them by ants. Attention has previously been called to the rela- 

 tion existing between ants and peach-root louse by E. F. Smith, 1 who 

 stated as probable that the ants bring the plant lice from below ground 

 in the spring and place them upon the twigs, thus indirectly causing 

 their diffusion in the orchards. 



In the investigations reported the author states that he has not only 

 been able to observe the attention of the ant in caring for the aphis on 

 the roots, but has also found them transporting them about on the 

 twigs, and he has no doubt that they are also transported from twig to 

 root and vice versa. Below ground the aphis is said to usually cluster 

 upon the tender roots or rootlets with ants in constant attendance. 

 Where there was a lack of rootlets the bases of some of the roots and 

 also the crown had patches of bark removed, and the wounds had every 

 appearance of having been caused by gnawing away the bark. On 

 further examination it was found that where these wounds had begun 

 to heal over, the wounds were closely packed with the root lice attended 

 by ants. It appears that the aphis can subsist on this tender growth 



Eiitomologua Americana 0, p. 101. 



