FRUIT TREES AND THEIR ENEMIES 167 



shrubs. The popular name has been given on 

 account of the shield or covering of the insect 

 resembling a mussel. The insects appear in 

 June, and damage the trees by sucking the sap. 

 Preventive measures consist in keeping orchards 

 free from dead and dying wood and removing 

 loose bark from the trees. Winter treatment 

 with the Woburn wash is also recommended. 



The Apple Blossom Weevil (Anthonomus 

 pomorum). Early in spring this little ashy- 

 grey weevil makes its appearance in the apple 

 orchard, where its attacks have greatly increased 

 of late years. It is only about a quarter of an 

 inch in length, and varies in colour from grey 

 to black, with a distinct, wide V-shaped mark- 

 ing on the back. The female bores into and 

 deposits its eggs in the flower-bud, and the 

 maggot, which is of a dirty-white colour and 

 an eighth of an inch in length, attacks the 

 opening flower, which usually falls to the 

 ground. As a preventive measure to the in- 

 crease of this insect, all withered blossoms 

 should be collected and burnt, and the trees 

 treated with kerosene emulsion or lime-salt 

 wash during winter. 



