_ THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
British Islands except, it may be, in a few cases, under 
peculiar conditions. The roots are liable to be cut and 
eaten by Cockchafers, &c. Certain Bark Beetles injure 
the stems, especially of trees that are not otherwise quite 
healthy. Some Weevils also feed, as larve, in winding 
galleries below the bark of diseased or weakly trees; 
among these, one of the more prominent is Magdalinus 
Pruni, a beetle about vsin. to tin. long, with black body 
and dull red antenne. 
The branches are attacked at times by Weevils of the 
genus Rhynchites. R. Alliariw, which is perhaps the 
most injurious species, is from }in. to }in. long, and is 
blue, with coarsely-striated wing-cases, dusky antenne, 
and a moderately long beak. The female lays her 
eggs on the buds near the end of the young shoots, in 
spring, and then gnaws the branch a little below the 
tip. The part beyond the notch hangs down and withers, 
and is thereby rendered suitable for nourishing the larvæ, 
which usually feed in the pith. This Weevil is at times 
very hurtful among young trees on the Continent. The 
~ perfect insects of this, and of certain allied species, do 
_ considerable harm by gnawing the young buds and leaves. 
A considerable number of Moths, and one Butterfly, 
Aporia Crategi, or the Black-veined White (see Haw- 
thorn ), feed, as larvæ, upon Plum leaves; 
_ but most of those that call for notice are more hurtful 
to other trees, and will be found treated of under the 
following headings : Lackey Moth, Leaf-rollers, Li- 
Moths, Tortricina, and Winter Moths. The 
larve of certain species of Sawflies also prove destruc- 
tive by devouring the leaves. The worst of these is 
; Eriocampa limacina, the larve of which feed on a great 
variety of cultivated trees and shrubs, and go by the 
name of Slugworms, because of their form, of their 
The young branches and leaves are invaded, at times, 
by colonies of- Aphides or Green Flies, 
Humuli, var. Mahaleb, causes the young leaves at the 
tips of the twigs to become rather fleshy and wrinkled 
tong, ir with a thin coating 
Scattered grey hairs, and a black beak and limbs. The 
_ fruits fall, the larve o:awl out, burrow into the ground, 
— to emerge as perfect insects 
Plum—continued. 
_ some cases, hand-picking is the most satisfactory method 
The Slugworms or Sawfly larve cannot be got rid of by 
this method, but require special treatment, for which 
see Slugworms. Aphides are best combated by the 
removal of all surplus young twigs, especially if attacked 
by the Aphides, and by applications syringed upwards 
below the leaves. See Aphides. The species that feed 
in the fruits are best kept under by collecting the pre- 
maturely fallen fruits, without delay, and burning them, 
or giving them to pigs. $ 
Following up the above account of the insect pests 
on the Plum, it may be mentioned that Mite Galls, of 
the. genus Phytoptus (see Mites), produce galls of two 
or three kinds on the leaves of the Plum, as well as on 
the Sloe and the Bird Cherry. Of these, the more con- 
spicuous © Erineum Padi, in the form of irregular 
patches of velvety, close-set hairs, at first pale, but be- 
coming rusty-brown, on the lower surface of the leaf; 
also outgrowths of a rounded or bullet-like form, and 
half a line to two lines long, and green or red, scattered 
over the surface of the leaf (Cephaloneon molle), or 
near the margins (C. hypocrateriforme and C. confluens). 
They also, at times, produce small galls in the bark of 
young branches (Cecidoptes Pruni). However, none of 
these mite-galls seriously affect the welfare of the tree, 
though rendering it unsightly. If from any cause it 
seems desirable to check the increase of the galls, hand- 
picking is the only remedy likely to be of use.. 
The fruits of the Plum-tree are very much injured, in 
the United States of America and in Canada, by the larvæ 
of two kinds of Weevils, both living in the fruit. Though 
neither has proved hurtful to Plums in England, the habits 
of the larve, and their abode in the fruits, render their 
introduction not unlikely; hence, the insects and the 
kind of injury done by them, are here shortly described. 
The Plum Curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar) is about 
šin. long, small, rough, and blackish, and has on each wing- 
case, in the middle, a black, shining hump, and behind 
this a clay-yellow band, variegated with white spots in the 
middle. The female settles on the young fruit, bores a 
hole in the skin to receive an egg, drops it in, and then 
makes a crescent-shaped cut about half round it. She 
repeats this process on one fruit after another. The larva 
hatches in a few days, and at once eats into the fruit, till 
it arrives at the stone, near which it feeds. It reaches its 
full size in from three to five weeks. The fruit becomes 
gummy, and falls prematurely and the larva remains, till it 
is full grown, in the fallen fruit; it then eats its way out, 
bores into the ground, changes into a pupa, and the perfect 
insect emerges in from three to six weeks. The beetles ` 
hybernate under bark and in other retreats. This insect 
often destroys alarge part of the Plum and Cherry harvest, 
and it also feeds in other stone fruits, The best remedy 
‘is to jar the beetles into an inverted umbrella, or on to 
sheets spread below the tree, and to collect and destroy 
the fallen fruits without delay, or to turn pigs into the 
orchards to feed on them. Rubbish should not be left for 
shelter to beetles. The second pecies (Coccotorus scutel- 
laris) is popularly called the Plum Gouger. It is very 
common in the valley of the Mississippi, but has not yet — 
been found in the Eastern States. It is said to be less 
hurtful than the former species, which is fortunate, as its 
habits render it the more likely to be brought to i 
In general appearance, it is somewhat like the Plum Cur- 
culio, but differs as follows: It is nearly jin. long; the 
head and wing-cases are brown, with a leaden-grey tint; 
and the wing-cases are variegated irregularly with black — 
and pale spots, and bear no humps; the thorax and legs _ 
| are ochre-yellow; and the snout cannot be folded below _ 
the breast. The beetles appear in spring. The female _ 
_ bores holes in the young Plums, and pushes an egg into 
each, but she makes no cuts around them. The larva 
hatches in a few days, and bores at once to the stone, 
a a a 
