CHERMES HIMALATENSIS ON THE SPRUCE AND SILVER FIR. 



121 



V. Damage committed in the Forest by Chermes himalayexsis. 



The Chermes when abundant undoubtedly greatly interfere with and retard the 

 growth of young trees of both Spruce and Silver Fir. 



In the case of the Spruce it is a common sight in the Western Himalaya to see young 

 trees loaded with galls, as many as 80 per cent, of the branches bearing at times several 

 pseudo-cones apiece upon them. 



The Spruce only produces a few buds in the axils of the leaves, the majority of the 

 axils being without them. All these buds develop in the spring, no reserve stock being 

 available to replace casualties. Thus when a young tree is severely attacked practically the 

 whole of the growth of the year is lost. When this attack is repeated year after year the 

 tree becomes thin and straggly in growth, bears numerous unsightly dry black dead galls 

 upon its branches, bas a scraggy appearance, and gradually becomes moribund and dies. 



Kg. 1. 



Fig. 2. 



/(UP 



|^Ns 



Development during the years 1902 to 1904 of a healthy 

 Spruce shoot (Picea exeelsa, Link), which was laid 

 down in 1901 and bore five buds. 



Development during the same period of a Spruce 

 shoot with five buds, which was taken from the 

 same tret! as fig. 1, but was attacked by Chermes 

 in the first two years. 



Mr. Burdon in his paper already quoted described an experiment carried out by 

 himself to ascertain tbe damage done by Chermes on the Spruce. He proved that a 

 shoot starting with a crop of five buds galled by the Chermes lost the majority in three 

 years. On this he wrote : — 



" It has been stated that the damage done by Chermes on the Spruce is not of a 

 serious nature, but I think the above facts are sufficient to show r that the injury is by no 

 means to be lightly regarded, and any one who compares healthy trees with those which 

 have been galled year after year will at once realize how extensive and far-reaching is 

 the injury caused by Chermes." 



