60 



TIIF: CANADIAN IIOiaiCULTUKIST. 



THE che:^»ry slug. 



fSelandria cerasi.) 



This troublesome enemy, which at- 

 tacks alike the cherry, pear and quince, 

 has now nearly completed his opera- 

 tions for the present season. The foli- 

 age of the cherry is apparently his 

 special favorite; although judging from 

 results where he is allowed to operate 

 unchecked, there would seem to be but 

 slight difference. 



Fig. 1. 



Wh can but feel a degree of surprise 

 that where a few moments of time and 

 the scattering of a fewhandfuls of lime, 

 ashes, or even dust, occasionly repeated, 

 would suffice to exterminate them, they 

 should so generally be permitted to run 

 their race, year after year, often even to 

 the utter ruin of the trees. 



We detected them 

 this season upon our 

 quinces, which, in pass- 

 ing, we frequently ex- 

 FiG. 2, amined, and by the use 



of an occasional handful of dry earth 

 scattered over them, saved the foliage. 



In doing the same with perhaps one 

 hundred young pear trees, embracing 

 perhaps forty distinct varieties, stand- 

 ing together in nursery rows, we dis- 

 covered that the insect manifested a 

 very decided preference for certain varie- 

 ties, since those with smooth, glossy 

 foliage were persistently avoided; while 

 others, with different foliage, were as 

 constantly attacked; the difference being 

 equally manifested, even when the 

 branches of the two interlocked. On 

 several varieties, with very firm, glossy 

 leaves, not a slug was discoverd during 

 the entire season ; while with others ad- 



jacent constant watchfulness was requir- 

 ed to keep them in subjection. — T. T. 

 Lyon, in Michigmi Farmer. 



[Note by the Editor. — The insect 

 above alluded to by Mr. Lyon is shown 

 in the accompanying cut. Fig. 1 rep- 

 resents a leaf upon which may be seen 

 a couple of these slugs feeding upon the 

 upper surface. The slug shown in Fig. 1 

 and marked a is of full size. Fig. 2 

 represents the fly which laid the eggs, 

 from which these slugs are hatched. 

 They lay their eggs usually early in 

 June, which hatch in about a fortnight. 

 The slugs attain their full growth in 

 twenty-six days, and in this time they 

 moult or cast their skins five times. 

 After the last moult they are no longer 

 of their usual olive green color, nor are 

 they shiny, but are smooth and of a 

 yellow color. They now pass to the 

 ground, burrow in it to the depth of 

 two or three inches, form each a little 

 cell, and in this cell change to the 

 chrysalis, and in sixteen days the fly 

 hatches out and lays her eggs for a 

 second brood of slugs. This usually 

 occurs about the first of August. This 

 second brood attain their full growth 

 about the end of September, go into 

 the ground and remain there until 

 spring. Hellebore mixed with water 

 and sprinkled upon the slugs is sure 

 death to them. Sometimes dry soil 

 and even ashes fail to kill them ; they 

 crawl out of their sanded skins and go 

 on as if nothing had happened.] 



SHAFFER'S COLOSSAL RASPBERRY. 



Last spring I planted tips of the new 

 Raspberry, Shaffer's Colossal. To my 

 surprise, there soon appeared shoots that 

 set blossoms, and which were folJoweil 

 by the largest raspberries I ever saw. 

 It wiis not an isolated case, but at least 

 10 per cent of the plants were beaiing. 

 They came in when other Raspberries 

 were gone, and are in full blast 



