PEAR GNAT MIDGE. 125 



pick up, as soon as possible, and destroy the small fallen fruit. 

 To this the treatment of giving a thoroughly good shaking 

 and jarring of the boughs of the infested tree, so as to shake 

 down as much of the infested fruit as possible, as soon as 

 Xtossihle, would probably be a very serviceable addition. Also 

 if previously tarred cloth, or any rough cheap material, was 

 spread under the boughs of the tree, so that the infested fruit 

 and the maggots which escaped from it might all be gathered 

 up together and burnt, or well shaken out together into a hole 

 and well covered down, this would save much escape of the 

 maggots. Also spreading a coat of quick-lime on a dry day 

 beneath the infested tree, and then slaking it, might have a 

 very good effect, and the lime would kill many of the escaping 

 maggots. 



Where Pears are grown in grass orchards, a deal of the 

 fallen infested fruit would be cleared off by having sheep on 

 the ground ; and where the ground below the trees is free of 

 crop, and the Pear roots not too near the surface, the plan of 

 skimming the surface and destroying the surface earth with 

 its contained infestation would answer well. 



The depths given for presence of the cocoons are half an 

 inch to two inches, and this might (I believe) often be safely 

 removed ; but I would on no account whatever advise the 

 treatment which I see at times recommended in this country 

 with regard to clearing infestation from soil under trees or 

 fruit bushes, namely, that of digging the ground. Such treat- 

 ment is absolute destruction to the surface roots, a large pro- 

 portion of which lie much nearer the surface of the earth than 

 a spade's dejDth ; and also, although some of the cocoons may 

 be buried down so as to be put out of the way of doing mis- 

 chief, yet a large proportion are only scattered about in the 

 soil, and the insects develop from them as safely as I have 

 known them to do where the infested skimmings from under 

 Gooseberry bushes were laid in rows between the rows of 

 plants. 



It should perhaps be noted with regard to this attack that 

 the only connection it has with the Pear tree is with the 

 blossom-buds for the purposes of egg-laying, and with the 

 young fruit, in which the maggots feed until, at their maturity, 

 they quit the fruit and bury themselves in the ground to go 

 through their changes to the complete gnat-midge. Therefore 

 the w^ashings, or lime dustings, or scrapings of the trunk of 

 the tree, which are so very serviceable in cases of various 

 other Pear or Apple attacks (notably that of Codlin Moth) are 

 of no use at all with this infestation. 



In the observations sent me on May 25th, 1896, by a 

 correspondent of a bad attack of the midge-maggots on bis 



