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Aukland orcliardists. I published his views on the matter in an Auckland news- 

 paper, offering to give seeds to any applicant who cared to give the plant a trial. 

 Somehow, perhaps through want of clearness in my language, it was assumed that I 

 recommended the cultivation of the plant for the purj)ose of destroying the Codling 

 Moth, and the matter was referred to in newspapers all through the colony, and I 

 believe elsewhere as well. Personally, I never entertained much hope of the plant 

 being of real use, and I see that you express a similar opinion in your pamphlet. 



The Codling Moth has done very serious injury in many apjile orchards here. But 

 orchardists are beginning to recognize that if the trees are carefully sprayed with 

 Paris green, and bandaged, tihe injury is reduced to a small percentage. It is, in 

 fact, the old story of attention and careful culture versus neglect. — [T. F. Cheeseman, 

 Auckland, New Zealand, December 31, 1891. 



A Sesiid Pest of the Persimmon. 



I send a small piece of the stem of the native Persimmon {Diospyros virginiana) in 

 whiuli you will find a living specimen of a borer which is giving us a great deal of 

 trouble in this district. The center of the stem is quite hollow from the ground line 

 to a depth of 22 inches. The piece sent was at a depth of from 17 to 22 inches below 

 the surface and was growing in a perfectly perpendicular manner. 



What is the specific name of the borer and what can we do to destroy it? Many 

 fine trees of Diospyros kaki on the native roots have died in this vicinity from this 

 cause.— [J. W. Lever, Florida, February 20, 1892. 



Reply. — * * * The insect which yon send is an interesting species of the same 

 group to which tlie common Peach-Tree Borer belongs. It is known as Phemonoe 

 5-caudata. This insect, although previously known to bore into the Persimmon, has 

 never been sent to us as a pest of economic importance. The surest way to get rid 

 of it would be to dig up and burn every infested tree. If this be done the number 

 will be so reduced that future damage will be slight for a time, but to protect other 

 trees it may be well to remove the earth from around the roots, fill in with ashes, and 

 mound up for some distance. The lower portion of the trunk may be still further 

 protected by a sheathing of straw set upon end and tied with cord. The exact time 

 of egg laying is not known with this species, but if it can be ascertained a still 

 further protection will be found in washing the trunks of the young trees with Paris 

 green and water in the proportion of one-fourth pound to 40 gallons of water dur- 

 ing the egg-laying season. — [February 24, 1892.] 



A Cayenne Pepper Feeder. 



I mail you herewith larvae of a moth and of an Anthrenus, together with the Cay- 

 enne pepper in which they were found living. A specimen of the moth is also sent. 

 These moth larvae are quite injurious to Cayenne pepper in one of the drug houses of 

 this place. They spin a sort of web, thus fastening many grains of coarse pepper 

 together. The Anthrenus larvae may be here simply to feed on the cast-off skins of 

 the larvae and the dead moths, but it looks as if this was at least a proof of the in- 

 effectiveness of the old plan of sprinkling pepper on the floor under carpets to pre- 

 vent the ravages of the carpet beetle. — [H. F. Wickham, Iowa, February 28, 1892. 



Reply. — » * * The Anthrenus larva) are those of J. varifts while the Lepidop- 

 terous larvie belong evidently to the genus Ephestia. The moth, however, was so 

 badly damaged that specific determination is impossible. Lasioderma, Sitodrepa, 

 and a few other beetles have been found in Cayenne pepper, so that your observation 

 is not unprecedented. — [March 9, 1892.] 



An early Use of Kerosene. 



Much has been written lately in regard to the use of kerosene emulsion ; do you 

 think that the mixture refei-red to could possibly have been one? I quote verbatim 

 from the Zoologist (Newman's), August, 1868, p. 1339: 



