XXXI. The prevention of Insect injury hy the use of 

 Phenol preparations. By Eleanoh A. 

 Okmerod, F.M.S. 



[Read November 6th, 1878.] 



I FEEL some hesitation in venturing to withdraw your 

 attention for a short time from more scientific matters to 

 that of the Psila roscB, too well known for the injury it 

 causes in our carrot crops, under the name of "rust;" but 

 after noting for many years the means generally used, and, 

 ordinarily, with little success for keeping it in check, I 

 have this year been fortunate enough to stop its ravages 

 so completely that, perhaps, I may be allowed to say a few 

 words on the subject, looking on it as the type of a class 

 of injurious insects very difficult to deal with pi-actically, — 

 whose life, in all but the imago state, being carried on 

 beneath the surface of the earth, show their presence only 

 by its results Avhen it is often too late to apply a remedy, 

 and, generally s^jeaking, difficult to find an application 

 that will destroy the insect without injuring the plant. 



On the 19th of June I found the carrots in my garden 

 perishing under the worst attack of Psila rosce that I ever 

 met with. Instead of being simply limited to a number 

 of larval borings towards the extremity of the root, the 

 plants Avere in some cases killed, in others Avere destroyed 

 fully half-Avay up ; the larvaa Avere unusually fine and 

 numerous, and the constantly-increasing injury to the plot 

 might be traced by the daily-altering state of the plants, 

 which were given up as hopeless by the various gardeners 

 I consulted. 



It occurred to me that a fluid apjilication I Avas then 

 experimenting Avith, knoAvn as " Little's Soluble Phenyle," 

 of Avhich the ingredients Avere stated to be a distillation of 

 tar, similar to creosote, and pine oil, and Avhicli I had found 

 injurious to insect life, AA-hilst beneficial to A-egetation, 

 might be of service, and after Avatering the plants for a 

 fcAA' days Avith it in a dilute state, the application took 

 effect thoroughly. 



In less than a fortnight the attack had ceased spreading, 

 and some of the infested plants shoAved signs of recovery ; 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. 1878. — PART IV. (dEC.) 



