1905 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 89 



chards. The attacks were largely upon nursery stock, and the colonies 

 could doubtless have been destroyed by an application of kerosene emulsion 

 or a whale-oil soap wash. As the colonies are so dense and frequently many 

 of them are hidden inside an open swelling caused on the bark of young 

 trees by their punctures, spraying the above insecticides would not in all 

 cases reach all of the insects. Where possible, a more thorough applica- 

 tion by means of a stiff brush would probably be more satisfactory. In 

 very bad instances, however, twigs high up in the trees may be covered 

 with the plant-lice, and in such cases the only practical treatment would 

 be spraying with a strong kerosene emulsion (one to six), and the liquid 

 must be applied with as much force as possible. 



The Buffalo Tree-hopper {Ceresa huhalus, Fab.). This little homopter 

 is often complained of for the injury done to young apple wood by the egg- 

 laying females, which cut crescent-shaped slits in pairs along the young 

 branches when depositing their eggs. These slits run deeply into the wood 

 and leave lasting scars which give an ugly gnarled appearance to the trees. 

 Injury is seldom severe; but a remarkable instance has occurred during 

 the past summer in Mr, J. P. Gourdanier's magnificent seventy-acre or- 

 chard at Morven, Lennox county, Ont., where nearly all the trees were 

 severely injured. The remedy usually recommended for this insect is to 

 spray at the time the young hoppers hatch, with kerosene emulsion. In 

 this case, however, spraying with crude oil or a strong kerosene emulsion 

 just before the buds burst in spring would be advisable, so as to kill the eggs. 

 It has been found that the young do not feed to any extent upon the apple 

 trees after hatching; but upon weeds and other coarse vegetation near the 

 ground. All such useless vegetation, therefore, should be kept closely 

 mowed and the ground cultivated in infested orchards. 



Forest and Shade Trees. 



Perhaps the most noticeable occurrences of insects upon forest trees 

 during the past season were the reappearance of the Larch Sawfly and the 

 remarkable increase in the numbers of the Spruce Gall-louse, Chertnes 

 ahietis, L. This latter insect has been the cause of considerable anxiety 

 among growers of ornamental spruces for some years. It undoubtedly 

 renders the trees very unsightly and gives them an unhealthy appearance; 

 but I know of no actual instance where it has killed trees. The young 

 issue from the cone-like galls about the middle of August and crawl about 

 on the trees, where later eggs are laid from which hatch young plant-lice 

 that remain on the twigs until the following spring. Their presence in 

 the young buds of the spruces causes slight swellings at the base of the 

 leaves. Each female of the May brood lays about 300 eggs and the young 

 from these, cluster in the swellings begun by their mothers, where they soon 

 cause the galls which later are so conspicuous. No treatment is possible 

 upon forest trees ; but, upon hedges and ornamental specimen trees, good 

 work has been done by spraying them at the times the young plant-lice are 

 exposed and before they are enclosed in the galls, with a tobacco and soap 

 wash, or with kerosene emulsion. The two seasons of the year when the 

 young plant-lice may be reached are in the latter part of August and in 

 May. A good soap wash may be made by soaking ten pounds of tobacco 

 leaves in enough hot water to cover them. Then strain off the liquid and 

 add two pounds of whale oil soap. When dissolved, dilute to forty gallons 

 of water. Two or three applications of this spray should be made at short 

 intervals. 



