NSECTS ETC., INJURIOUS TO VARIOUS CROPS 1557 



3 inches below the soil and penetrate into it boring tunnels of varying di- 

 mensions ; they cut into and gnaw all the tissues to such an extent that 

 the aerial parts of the plant often wither and die. In June and July iqio 

 observations were made at Lampasas, (Tranbur^^ Pearsall, Piano in Texas. 



Termites also make furrows and bore holes in the surface of potato 

 tubers, but, according to IVIarlatt, they confine their attacks to potatoes 

 infected with " gale ". 



Considerable damage to maize has often been recorded in North Ca- 

 rolina, Kansas, Tennessee and Alabama. The termite workers penetrate 

 into the stem and only leave a thin superficial layer intact. In their work 

 of destruction the termites generally make use of galleries bored by other 

 insects {Diatraea saccharalis Fab. and Sphenopkorus niaidis Chittn.) ; 

 they confine themselves to enlarging and completing these galleries, 

 which fact does not however exclude the possibility of an attack being di- 

 rected against perfectly healthy plants. In August igo8, in the planta- 

 tions of Chemson College (South Carolina), 5 per cent of the stems were 

 infested and each stem contained from 5 to 75 termites. 



In the Kansas nurseries in 1909 and 1910, the termites, encouraged 

 by the dr\- season, attacked the yoimg sapHngs of apple trees, from 

 I to 3 years old, gnawed the bark and caused the death of a great number 

 of the trees. 



In several localities in the United States, geraniums, rosetrees, jessa- 

 mine, laurestinus, Opuntia and many other ornamental plants in hot 

 houses and the open air alike, often suffered from the attacks of termites. 

 Methods of combating these pests : i) collect and destroy" the prunings 

 of branches and all the vegetable debris in which these animals often find 

 suitable shelter ; 2) in badly infected re.gions avoid the cultivation of the 

 plants which are most hable to attack for several years and give prefer- 

 ence to grasses ; 3) during the operation of ploughing, digging, etc., avoid 

 bur\ung vegetable debris in which termites can hide ; 4) in hot houses 

 and nurseries dispense with animal manures and give the preference to che- 

 mical manures ; 5) if the plant in question is a vine proceed carefully with 

 pruning avoiding serious lesions, and finally cover the scars with coal tar 

 or other substances of a similar nature. 



114s- Pu/vt'nar/a floccifera and Chrysomphalus dictyospermi\ Cochi- 

 neal Insects Recently Established in California. — Essig, o. in rhe Monthly Bulletin 



of Stale Commioyion 01 Hoiiicultiirc, Vol. V, Xo. 5, pp. 19--197. Fig. 65- jc Sacramento 

 Cal., 1916. 



Among the insects imported into California from other countries a cer- 

 tain number of cochineal insects figure, some of which cause great da- 

 mage to kitchen-gardens and orchards. 



Pulvinaria floccifera Westwood (Camellia scale) and Chrysompha- 

 lus dictyospermi Morgan (Dictyospermuni scale) are of very recent impor- 

 tation. 



Up to the present P. floccifera has only been able to establish itself 

 in a single locality in San Jose. Here we are dealing with a cosmopoli- 

 tan parasite common throughout the temperate zone, and well known in the 



