66 



nuu'Kcd tliat cnlirc trees hud (heir r()li;iL!;e sme.ired with lioneydew, 

 blaclceued with the sooty fungus, and oventujilly h)st a considerable 

 proportion of their leav^es. Young trees showed the work of tliisi)est 

 more than older ones; but even in the case of those in bearing the 

 development of the fruit was severel}^ checked. Plant-lice of this 

 species appeared about the last of May, w'ere more abundant in June, 

 continuing through July and, in some cases at least, even to the mid- 

 dle of August. Tlie conditions in the nursery were no better than in 

 the orchard, and a correspondent reports that this species obliged 

 him to keep a gang of 15 or 20 men and boys at work continuous!}' 

 in the nursery with a whale oil soap solution, and some nurserymen 

 found themselves almost unable to eopci with the pest. The severe 

 injuries led us to exjjeriment with wiiale oil soap solution — 1 pound 

 to 4 gallons — with the result that it killed all the plant-lice touched 

 without injuring the foliage to any ext(Mit. We, however, believe 

 that thoroughness is of more importance than using a strong insecti- 

 cide. 



The eherry plant-louse {}[i/ziis cirasi Fab.) was also generally 

 destructive throughout the State, and in some cases inflicted ver}^ 

 serious injury. We have in n\ind cei'tain small trees in (Chautauqua 

 County which were so l)adl3' infested that nearly one-third of the 

 leaf-bearing portion of the twigs had the foliage so badly affected that 

 it curled, died, and dropped l)y midsummer. The injur}^ was so .great 

 that one or two trees died, pr()bal)ly as an indirect result of the severe 

 drain upon their vitalit^^ The plant-louse on Norway' maples {Chai- 

 f(>l)]toru.s {?) aceris) has likewise been exceedingly abundant and inju- 

 rious, affecting trees so seriously that practically all the foliage was 

 smeared with honeydew and discolored by fungus. In a few instances 

 the leaves were so l)adly curled and stunted that they jjresented only 

 about one-quarter the usual surface, and the trees, instead of being 

 ol)jects of beauty, were monuments of miserj^ and an eyesore on the 

 landsca]>e. The elm aphis {CaUipterus ulmifolil Mon.) was also gen- 

 erally abundant ui)on American elm and occasionally exceedingly 

 injurious. The foliage of affected trees was smeared with honejalew, 

 blackened, and the borders of the leaves turned j^ellowish by mid- 

 summer. Affected trees presented a ver3Mnisei"able appearance. The 

 delicate and beautiful plant-louse {DrepcDiosipliuui acerifolii Thos. ) 

 was likewise very abundant on haid and soft maple in various sec- 

 tions of the State and caused considerable di-opping of the foliage. 

 The birch aphis {Ccdlipierus hetuhi'colens Mon.) was abundant aud 

 excessively injurious to birches, i^articularly the cut-leaved variety. 

 The outbreaks of various si)ecies of plant-louse were largel}^ checked 

 by hosts of natural enemies, such as ladybugs, sjn-phus, and lace- 

 winged flies. 



Diplotaxisljlnrti (4erm. is rarely bi'ouglit to notice on account of 

 its depredations, and the complaint b}' John R. Orandall, of Haup- 



