Packakd.] the P0PULATI0:N" of A.V apple tree. 191 



saults of the m^'riad birds and insects which prey upon them, 

 must be closed b}' accessions from the youth of the colon}-. 

 How fertile the mothers are in means to supply this want, 

 and with what startling precocity the new-born Aphis steps 

 into the shoes of his sire, or more commonly his mother, we 

 have alread}^ seen. Given a colon}' of, say, 1,000,000 plant 

 lice on a choice tree, the problem before us, and it is one 

 nature daily presents, is to reduce the 1,000,000 to 0. 



Before nsing the various artificial remedies, excellent when 

 faithfully applied, the intelligent gardener will avail himself 

 of the aid of the natural enemies of the Aphis, such as the 

 maggot of the Syrphus fly, and the larva of the lace-winged 

 fly. If he gather these and turn them loose among the 

 flocks of Aphides his withered trees will soon become green 

 and exuberant. 



Dr.^Fitch says that the eggs are small, oval, shining, black, 

 and placed by the parent in autumn deep in the cracks and 

 crevices in the bark of the tree. Now, as he suggests, the 

 practical way to deal with these pests is to scrape off the dead 

 bark of the old trees and whitewash all the trees early in No- 

 vember, or very early in the spring before the buds begin to 

 open, for at this period the young Aphides hatch, as they may 

 be found clustered round the buds, and as soon as the green 

 leaves begin to show tliemselves the Aphides puncture them. 

 This Aphis is a European importation. The head and tho- 

 rax are black, the hind body green. Among the remedies 

 which may be ai)i)lic(l are washes of sal soda, strong soap 

 suds, tobacco in solution or its smoke, though this latter 

 means is difficult to apply to any except choice small trees. 



Not content with the destruction to root, trunk and leaf, a 

 few insects devote their energies to 



INJUUING TIIK FRUIT. 



The CocVJUinj Moth. — INIany a housekeeper looks willi un- 

 concern upon this little creature, quite ignorant of tlie mis- 

 Si 



