EXPERIMENTAL FORESTRY AREA IN WALES. 



25 



Number of days on 



which rain fell . ... 163 170 134 



Pests so far have been well kept in check. Rabbits have 

 been excluded with the help of the wire-netting fence which 

 was erected at a cost of ;^So, 4s. lod. This fence has been 

 regularly inspected, a man being paid ^3, i8s. od. annually for 

 the work. 



The larch woolly aphis made its appearance on some of 

 the larches in 19 10, and fears were entertained for the remainder 

 of the trees. The affected plants were at once uprooted, 

 however, carefully removed and burnt, and since then we have 

 had no trouble, although, of course, it is quite likely that the 

 insect will return. 



Another aphis {Chermes pint) attacked the Scots pine 

 rather badly during the summer of 1909. It did not actually 

 kill more than one or two trees, but for a time it infested the 

 stem and branches. The same tree also suffered from a leaf- 

 attacking fungus {Peridermmm pini aa'cola), but after the pines 

 had fairly established themselves they were able to throw off 

 the evil effects of both pests, and now present a healthy 

 appearance. A small colony of pine sawfly was found on 

 the Corsican pine, but the insects were easily destroyed and gave 

 no further trouble. The beech trees in the year following plant- 

 ing were damaged to some extent by an aphis {Fhyllaphts fagi) 

 attacking the foliage. Nearly all the plants survived, and now 

 seem to be quite clean. The spruce also has had its aphis pest 

 in the shape of Chermes abietis. No injury worth mentioning has 



