602 Report op Entomologists of the 



Mr. Corneirs orchard is on a clay soil whieli has flat brolcen stone 

 on the surface. If he succeeds in the use of kainit it will be by 

 applying it every year ; then he will only reduce the number of the 

 "midges" so that the thinning of the frnit, which they will do, will 

 be a benefit to trees stimulated as the latter will necessarily be by 

 the constant use of the kainit. 



Apparently the " midges " were as plentiful in the vicinity of New- 

 burgh this season, as on previous years, but the peculiar fact noted 

 above, as to the way in which they had attacked the blossoms on 

 the most vigorous branches, and the first flower on less vigorous 

 branches, indicate that either the trees were backward in flowering 

 or that the "midges" issued earlier and had mostly disappeared by 

 the time trees pushed forth the flower buds. Whichever may have 

 been the case the result was less injury as a whole for this season, 

 and a fair crop. 



Plant Lice. — The scarcity of the " Cabbage louse " {Aphis 

 l)rassiccB) on Long Island the past season has been very marked^ 

 It was noticed in small numbers in two localities, viz., Hicksville 

 and Cutchogue. On the other hand, the " Green fiy " {Hhopalo- 

 si^hum dianthi) has occurred in destructive numbers on turnips, 

 in a few cases on cabbage, and especially on kale. During the last 

 half of October and the fin?t half of November this Aphid was 

 attacked by a fungus growth, Empusa aphidis, which destroyed at 

 least 80 per cent, of them. Their destruction by this disease did 

 not prove of much benefit to the growers of kale. The leaves 

 were already more or less wilted, besides the dead plant lice were 

 so firmly, attached to the surface of the leaf by the fungus threads 

 that it was impossible to jar or wash them off. The appearance of 

 these dead lice injured the sale of the kale more than the live ones 

 did, as part of the latter could be gotten rid of by jarring and 

 washing. One farmer said if he succeeded in selling a little kale 

 to customers he could not sell to them a second time. 



The " Apple louse " {Aphis mali) has occurred in injurious num- 

 bers on apple, quince, hawthorn and spireas. Messrs. Keene & 

 Foulk, of Flushing, treated part of their apple stock with whale oil 

 soap, one pound dissolved in four gallons of water. This was 

 applied by simply dipping the ends of the branches into a bucket 

 full of the liquid. The eifect of the treatment was most marked 

 at the close of the OT'owine: season. The average arrowth of the 

 untreated stock was one foot with nearly all the leaves curled. 



