. 8 APPLE. 



female is almost globose, of a brownish green colour, with a 

 rusty stain on the head and part of the thorax. The tail and 

 rings next to it are very hairy. 



In the case of this plant-louse, there are wingless males; 

 whether there are winged ones also, appears not to be certain. 

 The wingless kind is described as " exceedingly minute, per- 

 haps one-eighth the size of the female" (of which the greatest 

 length given is about the tenth of an inch) ; legs long : horns 

 longer than the body, and sucker almost equal to it in length. 



The early stages of this species of plant-louse much re- 

 semble each other in form ; the pupa, however, has reddish 

 wing-cases ; also, it is usually of a paler yellow in colour than 

 the larva, and has three green stripes on the abdomen. — 

 C Mon. of Brit. Aphides,' vol. ii.). 



Prevention and Eemedies. — Scraping the dead bark off the 

 trees during the winter, and washing them with a solution of 

 soft-soap reduced to the consistence of a thick paint by the 

 addition of a strong solution of washing soda in water, is 

 recommended in Canadian practice as being beneficial by de- 

 stroying the eggs. Later on washes and syringings of soap- 

 suds. Soft-soap with a little paraffin incorporated, but not 

 strong enough to hurt the leafage, and all the usual class of 

 aphis washes, will be of use where they can be brought to 

 bear on the aphides. 



In the case of this aphis, which blackens the bark and gives 

 the tree a sickly smell from its excretions, thorough and re- 

 peated washings that will clean the leaves and shoots, as 

 well as knock off the aphides, are particularly useful. Where 

 shoots are still in the first stages of attack, before the leaves 

 are ruined, good dreuchings applied powerfully by means of 

 the garden-engine are useful for this purpose, and they may 

 be of water or of any of the washes mentioned ; but washes 

 containing soap or anything that will adhere to the aphis, 

 instead of being repelled by its mealy coat when in larval or 

 pupal state, are the most useful. 



It is desirable to cut off all infested shoots that are past hope 

 of recovery, or can be spared, and destroy them at once, so as 

 not to allow the aphides on them to fly or otherwise get about. 



The common Blue Titmouse is especially useful in destroying 

 aphides ; and the Cole, Marsh, Long-tailed, and Great Tit- 

 mouse ; also the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, the Creeper, the 

 Nuthatch, and the Warbler are stated to be serviceable in 

 clearing insects from Apple trees. 



