IRISH GARDENING. 



xv 



from the edge inwards, but now and then devour- 

 ing holes in the leaves. 



The adult larva is apple green, with a small, 

 somewhat irregular, black spot on each side of the 

 lirst four segments, and a large round black spot 

 on each side of the next seven segments ; numerous 

 small black specks occur on the first four seg- 

 ments and some on the sides of the others : the 

 head is green, with black eyes : the legs are green. 

 It is half an inch in length. A few showed a more 

 yellow tinge. 



The adult is shiny black, with paler incisions 

 on the venter : the legs and also the base of the 

 wings are pale. 



The Beech Orchestes. — This well-known beech 

 insect (Orchestes fagi. Barens) was reported and 

 sent from Devon in June, as the cause of a serious 

 loss to apples at Harp ford, Ottery. St. Mary. 

 Captain Chancellor sent with the beetles a number 

 of damaged apples upon which the orchestes had 

 been feeding. The method of attack is for the 

 beetles to settle on the fruitlets when from the 

 size of a filbert to that of a walnut. They collect 

 in groups and eat small holes into the young 

 apples, and as many as fifteen of the weevils 

 were found in the same hole ; some holes formed 

 were half an inch across, while others were quite 

 small. The attacked fruitlets also split from the 

 seat of damage, sometimes on one side only, some- 

 times on both sides. Cox's Orange Pippins were 

 mainly attacked, and a large portion of the crop 

 was ruined. 



To verify the cause of this damage a number 

 of beech orhestes were caught at Wye and placed 

 on an apple tree under muslin : by the next day 

 they had commenced to work in a similar way 

 to those in Devon. .. The orchard in Devon was 

 surrounded by beech and oak trees, and this well- 

 known forest insect apparently suddenly changed 

 its habits. As is well known, it lays its eggs in 

 the beech leaves, the larva' tunnelling into the 

 leaves from the tips downwards. 



The apples had been well sprayed with arsenate 



of lead, hut this had no effect whatever mi the 

 beetles. A subsequent spraying with " Abol " 

 appeared to check them. 



It was a surprise to find these beetles doing the 

 damage: to ensure correct identification, Mr. 

 Gahan kindly examined them for me. 



It is interesting to note that in Illinois an 

 orchestes. the (). canus, Horn, attacks apples. 

 hut in a different way. This weevil, named the 

 apple Ilea weevil, lays its eggs in the outer part 

 of the leaf in one of the principal veins, and the 

 larva' tunnel into the leaf much as in the case of 

 the orchestes of the beech in Britain. In addition 

 to this, the adult beetles eat holes in the foliage, 

 just as our beech orchestes does in beech leaves. 



It appears, however, that orchestes fagi only 

 attacked the apples themselves in South I>evon, 

 as no trace of leaf damage could be found. 



The Garden Chafer eating Apples. — Although 

 well known as a destructive insect in its larval 

 stage to grass and roots generally in Britain, I 

 am not aware that the garden chafer (Phyllo- 

 pert ha horticola, Pabr.) has been noticed to attack 

 apples in its adult stage in this countrv. In 

 .May. Mr. Oswald Ellis, of The Fruit Farms, 

 Brain ley. Surrey, sent various apples badly 

 damaged, with an inquiry to know if the small 

 chafers could possibly be the culprits. Later they 

 were found in vast numbers and devoured the 

 young apples ravenously. Worcester Pearmains 

 were chiefly attacked. Many bush trees had 

 fifty to one hundred beetles shaken from them. 



Placed on large apples, they soon set to work — 

 a single beetle spoiling no less than ten apples on 

 one brighi day. 



A similar attack is well known in Germany. 

 Dr. Reh describes and figures the damage caused 

 by t his chafer. 



Jarring the beetles of!' is the only method of 

 combating them. As they are active in bright 

 weather, this should be done as far as possible 

 in dull weather or towards evening. — From The 

 ■Ion rnal of the Board of Agriculture. 



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