FUNGUS BLIGHTS. 35 



viviporous like most other Aphides. It lives on the sap of the tree, 

 and by its irritating presence causes excresences of growth, and 

 eventually, the death of the branches beyond its situation. It is the 

 habit of this Aphis to retire into the ground during the winter, and 

 cluster in the crevices of any available roots, and here it may be 

 advantageously attacked. The first remedy again, is to feed the tree, 

 then to get at the pest directly, as far as possible, by applying a weak 

 mixture of petroleum with soft soap, say, an ounce of petroleum and 

 half-a-pound of soft soap, boiled gradually in a gallon of water, and 

 apply with a brush wherever the woolly insect shews itself. This 

 remedy has the additional advantage of attacking its winter quarters 

 at the foot of the tree, as it is washed there by the rain. This petro- 

 leum emulsion is very troublesome to keep well mixed, and when 

 the blight is not very extensive, a moderately strong solution of soft 

 soap, or of agricultural salt, is much more easy of application, and 

 often very effective. 



Red Spider. ( Gaiiiasi/s telarins). This insect is sometimes 

 very destructive to the leaves of Apple and Pear trees. It is believed 

 to be due to the state of the soil in which the tree grows, which may 

 be too light, or too poor for it, and this belief points out the direc- 

 tion in which relief must be sought. 



Many other insects attack Apple and Pear trees, such as 

 Episema a^ruliocephala ; Cheimatobia brumata; Porthesia aiuiflita ; 

 LozotcEiiia rosana ; Tortrix heparaiia ; Tortrix ribeana ; Tinea 

 corticella ; Curcidio vastator ; Sei/iasia ]V(Bbera?ia ; with several 

 other species of Aphis, Acariis, and Coccus. The visits of these 

 enemies however are for the most part local, and their presence can 

 only be met by the partial remedy of smoking to windward, where 

 there may be plenty of damp straw or mouldy hay, at hand, to give 

 the opportunity of doing so. 



Fungus Blights. — Fungus growths are always unwelcome 

 guests in an Orchard. A botanist may admire a fine Polyporus 

 hispida, or rejoice in a magnificent cluster of Agaricus (Pholiota) 

 squarrosus with its leopard-like spots growing from the bole, or at 

 the foot of an apple tree, as it so commonly does ; but these with all 



