1899] PEAR GNAT MIDGE. 99 



On June 16th, 1898, the latest date of observation of attack which was 

 seut me, some samples of little Pears affected by the Pear Gnat Midge 

 wei-e forwarded me by Mr. J. Lansdell, F.E.H.S., from The Gardens, 

 Barkby Hall, near Leicester, with the information that the Pear crop 

 was suffering severely from the pest, and enquiries and observations 

 sent accompanying showed that it was a newly noticed trouble. It will 

 be observed that Mr. Lansdell ascribes the immunity from attack 

 noticed in his reply to my enquiries to be certainly in part attributable 

 to the fact that in 1898 everij affected fruit which could be seen was 

 carefully gathered and burnt. 



On Jan. 6th, 1900, Mr. Lansdell, now Assistant Horticultural 

 Instructor for Worcestershire, replied to my enquiries regarding result 

 of treatment from Pomona, Wyld's Lane, Worcester : — 



" With reference to Diplosis pyrivora at Barkby during the past 

 year, the attack has been very slight. Unfortunately I did not take 

 note of the exact number of affected fruit, but it would only be about 

 nine or ten. 



" I considered the immunity of attack was from two causes. (We 

 had no standard Pear trees.) All were on the walls, or as bushes, so 

 that the trees could be easily watched, and every affected fruit iu 1898 

 (which could be seen) was carefully gathered and burnt. 2iid. In the 

 spring of 1899 we had a splendid show of bloom on all our Pears, but, 

 owing to the severe frosts, the crop was a light one in comparison to 

 the large quantity of blooms, and I considered there might be an 

 enormous loss of eggs of the Diplosis in these dead blossoms." 



Suinmari/ of the above. — Gathering and destroying infested fruit 

 has had very good results ; so has removal of the infested surface, or 

 digging it in ; and this stands in contrast to conditious of trees on 

 pasture land (see p. 96), where, of course, the infested surface could 

 not be removed. 



Kaiuite, so strongly recommended in U.S.A. practice, has answered 

 well ; and there is a good note of successful use of wood-ashes. No 

 special benefit appears to have followed use of lime or of nitrate of 

 soda. A few notes are also given of kinds of Pears which are con- 

 sidered less or more subject to infestation, with some remarks on what 

 is conjectured to be the reason of this circumstance. 



Prevention and Remedy. — The following are the main points to 



be attended to, put as shortly as possible. The little maggot-infested 



Pears, which may be very fairly distinguished by their stunted, lumpy 



growth, and greater or lesser amount of black spots or patches, should, 



if possible, be picked from the trees before the maggots leave them to 



go down into the ground, and should be burnt or otherwise carefully 



destroyed. On no account merely thrown aside. 



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