66 



(d) In the case of single trees in gardens, an attack may be 

 kept under control by picking off and burning attacked leaves 

 as soon as they can be recognised. This remedy is, of course, 

 only applicable where an infestation is noticed at once, and 

 not after two or three years, when the mites have become well 

 established throughout the tree. 



THE PEAR MIDGE. 



(Diplosis (Contarinia) pyrivora, Eiley.) 



<HHOIi> 



1. Pear stunted and malformed by the larvsB within it. 2. Section of 

 pear with larvae. 3. Larva, much magnified. 4. Female fly, much 

 magnified. Lines show natural length of fly and larva. 



The Pear Midge is a most serious pest, for by attacking the 

 fruit itself, it directly reduces the profit, whereas many other 

 pests may be present in some numbers without seriously or 

 immediately affecting the yield of the crop. Fortunately it 

 does not attack all varieties of pears equally, and the later 

 flowering varieties may escape while early flowering varieties 

 of the William's " Bon Chretien " type are completely cleared 

 of fruit. 



The insect was recorded as a pest in Continental orchards 

 by Kollar as long ago as 1837,* and it is supposed to have 

 Seen introduced into America about 1877 though there is 

 reason to believe that it was known in that country many 

 years before. Attention was first called to its occurrence in 

 England by Miss Ormerod in 1883, but the absence of earlier 

 records may well be accounted for by the lack of trained 

 observers, and the fact that the damage is very similar in its 

 effects to that due to weather and other natural causes. Of 

 late years it appears to have been steadily on the increase. 



Nature of Damage. The presence of this pest usually 

 first becomes evident from the rapid falling of the young fruit, 

 when about the size of marbles. In bad cases the whole of 



