106 PEAR. [1899 



The detailed description of the attack was given me by Mr. New- 

 stead writing, on Angust 81st, as follows : — "Just five years ago I was 

 asked to inspect a blighted Pear-tree, in the immediate neighbourhood 

 of Chester, which I fouqd to be infested with Slugworms or larvae of 

 Selaiulria otra. The attack was a moderately bad one, but the tree 

 had not then suffered to any serious extent from the effects of the 

 infestation. 



" Since then year by year the insect has increased until now, with 

 the aid of a hot summer, the upper half of the tree has been denuded 

 of its leaves, the result of the work of these black pernicious pests, 

 which have shorn almost every leaf of its upper epidermal layer, making 

 bare the delicate uervures, and causing the leaves to prematurely fall 

 from the tree. 



" My advice was to apply a dressing of Paris-green (in proportion 

 one ounce to twenty gallons of water) ; and in the winter to clear 

 away all surface soil and destroy it. The Paris-green was applied, 

 but to a part of the tree only, and it appeared to have ' little or no 

 effect ' (so my informant states) upon the larva. To have ensured 

 success the application should undoubtedly have been given to the 

 whole of the tree, and I now think the quantity of Paris-green might 

 with safety have been doubled. 



" There was a difficulty in removing the surface soil, as, with the 

 exception of one square foot at the base of the tree, the whole of the 

 root-area was covered with small paving-stones (water-worn boulders 

 or ' cobbles '), forming part of the stable-yard. 



"To remove the surface soil meant also the removal of the stone 

 pavements, which would have entailed great labour, and so the most 

 effectual method of prevention was not carried out. But as a substitute 

 a top dressing of hot lime was applied, -which., juclnimffron the abundance 

 of the pest this year, appeared to have little or no effect upon the larvae 

 as they descended to spin their cocoons and pupate, or upon the well- 

 protected pupae in the soil. 



"This year (1899) two applications of 'paraffin emulsion' were 

 made, but without the slightest effect upon the ' Slugworms,' and in 

 despair the tree was condemned to the axe, with a view to planting 

 another in its place. Before doing so, my gardener friend sought my 

 advice, and I paid a second visit to the infested tree. The upper 

 half had scarcely any leaves upon it ; and almost all the leaves that 

 remained were brown and threadbare from the ravages of the pest. 



"The greater number of larvae had gone down to spin their cocoons 

 and pupate, but there still remained a few larvae in all stages, from the 

 newly hatched embryo to the full-fed individual ready to cast its shiny 

 Slug-like coat, and to descend to the earth, there to pass its long 

 winter sleep. 



