182 PLUM. 



increased the number of eggs wliicli were laid, and caterpillars 

 grown to continue ravage to 1896. 



In the following year (1896) the report for the quarter 

 ending June SOth was that the weather was " remarkably fine 

 and bright.* But little rain fell in April and May, — in fact, 

 during May at several stations in the south-west rain fell on 

 one day only. May was probably the sunniest month on 

 record ; the general character of the weather during that 

 month may be briefly described as — days bright, cloudless, 

 and hot." 



The widely prevalent coincident caterpillar ravage will be 

 well remembered, and is worth referring to as showing that 

 together with this remarkable prevalence of leafage cater- 

 pillars we had the weather favourable for this state of things, 

 and that in future recurrence of similar attacks, in similar 

 circumstances, we may expect that (as has now happened) 

 with return to ordinary weather the sx3ecial prevalence will 

 disappear. 



Measukes of Prevention and Eemedy for this attack are 

 similar to those given under the heading of Winter Moth. 



Plum Sawfly. (For scientific names, see note, p. 181.) 



During June, 1891, I received from a few different localities 

 specimens of young Plums infested by sawfly grubs, which 

 were obviously doing much mischief by clearing out the young 

 kernel, and sometimes further injuring the centre of the 

 fruit, and consequently causing it to fall very prematurely. 



In one of the first communications which were sent me 

 (received on June 22nd from Urchester, near Wellingborough), 

 the observer mentioned that his Plums were heavily attacked, 

 and that it appeared to him that the attack had been made 

 and the eggs introduced very shortly after flowering, because, 

 when the puncture occurred at the extreme end of the fruit, 

 the exuding gum had often fixed the remains of the flower. 

 ** I should say that the creature has injured quite half the 

 crop."— (H. H. S.) 



The injured Plums varied in size from about, or a little 

 over, half an inch to an inch in length. In somewhere about 

 nineteen examined, I found the fruit usually to have one 

 boring near the end opposite to the insertion of the stem. In 



* See 'The Meteorological Kecord for the Quarter ending June 30th, 1896,' 

 by William Marriott, F.E. Met. Soc, Assistant Secretary of the Meteorological 

 Society. > 



