INSECT ENEMIES 39 



portation among us. Both here and in the United 

 States it is spreading with alarming rapidity. It is a 

 small two-winged fly, with a black body having lines 

 of yellow hair. The female pierces the flower-buds 

 and lays her eggs in them. These soon hatch, and 

 the young tiny grubs eat their way into the embryo 

 fruit, keeping to the fleshy part, leaving the core and 

 seeds alone. The pears turn brown, and then black. 

 Cut them open, you will notice maggots. The fruit 

 bursts or falls, the maggots form silken cocoons in 

 the soil in which they pupate, and remain till the 

 blossoms begin to expand next spring. Mr J. Fraser 

 (editor of Gardening World) has kindly sent these details, 

 and recommends (l) that the injured fruit be gathered 

 and burnt; (2) that two inches of the ground beneath 

 the trees should be taken up and burnt; (3) that kainit 

 should be distributed round the trees in autumn. Kainit 

 is said to keep off wireworm, and is recommended in 

 the United States as a preventive against this pest. I 

 think the mixture No. 2 or No. 3 should also be 

 used, as insects may be deterred by the scent. Lime 

 and soot spread over the ground in winter would 

 probably do good. 



7. Weevils devour leaves, buds, young shoots, even the 

 skin of fruit. They feed by night, and may be shaken 

 into a cloth off bushes. Lime and soot may lessen their 

 attacks, either as a wash No. 2 or 3, or spread lightly 

 round the stems, or as a powder over the leaves. 



A special bellows for distributing any dry powder 

 (as sulphur, lime, soot, etc.) can be had from De Luzy 

 Freres, ^A Harold Street, Camberwell. The price is 

 7s. 6d., carriage paid. 



As a general rule insecticides should be applied in 

 the evening or after the sun is down. Early and late 

 visits to the trees are best for finding them feeding. 



8. Wasps, after a dry spring, may be very numerous. 



