DISEASES, INSECTS, AND ANIMALS INJURIOUS TO FOREST TREES. 285 



There are many gall insects which attack hardwood trees, but 

 few of them do serious injury. Most of them give rise to cankerous 

 spots and small pimples on the leaves, but as the leaves of these trees 

 fall every year, the damage is not so disastrous as it is to pines. 



Cri/ptococciis f'Kji- 



This scale is to be seen on many beech trees throughout the 

 country. It pi-esents the appearance of a shower of snow having 

 frozen. It is generally known as "Felt Scale." When the pest is 

 but sparsely distributed on the stem, little damage results ; but 

 when the attack is very bad the bark separates from the stem, and 

 the tree ultimately dies in consequence. On moving the white 

 covering about midsummer, the insects may be found in all their 

 respective stages. 



Coccus fraxini. 



This is a scale becoming very common amongst ash, and known 

 as the "Ash Felt Scale." The bark is all covered with white or 

 greyish spots, and on rubbing the bark a reddish substance 

 appears, which substance is caused by the eggs being squeezed. 

 That part of the tree affected by the scale is unable to perform its 

 usual growth ; the trees are considerably less in circumference 

 at the affected part than the stem of the tree above it. 



Damage caused by Animals. 



Roedeer. 



The damage done to woods by roedeer consists partly in biting 

 off the buds and young shoots of most species of trees, thus causing 

 the immedate death of young plants, and when often repeated 

 crippling and stunting older plants and interfering completely 

 with their normal development. Roebuck do a deal of damage 

 by rubbing the bark off the tree in the act of cleaning the velvet 

 off their horns. It is well-nigh impossible to rear plants success- 

 fully where a strong head of roedeer is maintained, unless special 

 measures are adopted to secure them against the bucks. 



Hares. 



The damage done by hares consists in the nibbling of the young 

 buds of broad-leaved species, and in cutting over the young shoots 

 of conifers ; this, however, seldom takes place but in very hard 

 winters, when there is a decided want of food. 



