134 TREE WOUNDS AND DISEASES 



depredations minimised to as great an extent 

 as possible. 



The willows all over and around London 

 have suffered greatly during the past five years 

 from the attacks of the insect Eriophyes 

 triradiatus^ or the " witch's broom " of the 

 willow. So far as is known, the insect is new 

 to Britain, and was first recorded from Regent's 

 Park about nine years ago. It attacks several 

 species, including the white, crack, Bedford, 

 Huntingdon, and various hybrid willows ; and 

 on some of the trees hundreds of the moss-like 

 growths, which vary in size up to 15 inches 

 in length, may be seen. When badly attacked, 

 the trees wear a thin, unhealthy appearance, 

 and in some instances have succumbed to the 

 draining influence of the insect. We have 

 tried several methods of dealing with the pest, 

 but the only successful one was the removal 

 and burning of all affected branches. 



The best remedy is pruning off all affected 

 twigs in the early autumn work that can very 

 well be done in the case of single or a few 

 trees, but which is almost out of the question 

 where hundreds, as in some of our parks, have 



