f)18 Report ok thk Entomolocjists ok the 



This condition was most noticeable in the old uncultivated or- 

 chard. Another noticeable fact was that in most cases in the 

 rultivated orchards, it wass the ceulral flower of each spur that 

 was most apt to be affected. 



During the spring of 1896 crude petroleum, crude carbolic 

 acid and chloride of lime were tested to determine their value as 

 repellants for the pear-midge. These substances were placed in 

 phials, a dozen phials of each substance being used. Each sub- 

 sUince was placed in a separate tree, the phials being distrib- 

 uted to different parts of the tree. These substances failed to 

 give the desired results, but, possibl.y. the failure was due to the 

 fact that the midges had commenced to issue a few days before 

 the substances were placed in the trees. 



While working with the pear-midge at Meriden, Conn., in 1884 

 and 1885, Dr. Uiley bred a species of Plati/gaster from the midge- 

 iufested pears. These were apparently parasites of the midges. 

 What was probably the same species of Platygaster was observed 

 the past season, April 21, 1896, industriously depositing their eggs 

 in the unopened pear flowers, but we did not succeed in breeding 

 them from infested pears collected the latter part of May. 



CONCLTTSIONS. 



The tests made show that there is a decided gain in the use of 

 kainit. The question to be solved is, How long will an orchard 

 stand the application of a potash salt at the rate of from 1,500 to 

 2,000 pounds per acre, especially an orchard on a tenacious clay 

 soil? Another! question is, Will not the plowing of the orchard 

 in midsummer be just as discouraging to the midge as the appli- 

 cation of the potash salt? The indications thus far are that 

 thorough cultivation is far preferable to the application of salts. 

 There is a certain amount of danger in using the potash salts, 

 what their effect on the trees will be being an open question. 

 In Mr. Cornell's orchard where kainit was applied blight was 

 very bad, but blight has been quite marked in most places in this 



