THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



151 



duced from Europe on plum stock. 

 It appears that this Gall-Mite is now 

 quite widely distributed over the north- 

 eastern part of the United States. 



Prof. Sling-erland, of Cornell Uni- 

 versity, described the work of this 

 same mite in the December number of 

 the Canadian Entomologist for 1895. 

 His specimens came from a plum 

 orchard in Pennsylvania. 



So far as I am aware, the life-history 

 of the mite is not well known. It 

 appears, however, to migrate early in 

 the spring from the gall to found new 

 galls. This fact suggests two lines of 

 treatment : ist, to spray with kerosene 

 emulsion or whale-oil soap solution, 

 when the mites are leaving their win- 

 ter quarters ; and 2nd, to prune heavily 

 in early spring, cutting away as many 

 of the gall infested twigs as possible, 

 and burning these immediately. It is 

 doubtful it the first treatment could be 

 carried out with any degree of success, 

 for the mites are so minute (about 1-180 

 inch long), that few orchardmen could 

 observe the migration. Besides, we 

 are not quite certain as to the exact 

 date or time of migration. 



The pruning treatment seems then 

 to be the only practicable one, and if 

 the method be carefully followed for 

 one or two seasons it will have a de- 

 cidedly beneficial effect. 



Fig. 2286. Plum-Twig Gall-Mite. 



Two Plum Twigs affected by Plum-Twig Gall-Mite. 



The galls {a) are small and are arranged in 



circles at the base of the buds. 



APRIL. 



The pretty herpaticas hid in the brake, 



Are calling the alder and cat-kins to wake ; 



Miss Dogwood is dressed as a beautiful bride, 



And seeks in the shadows her blushes to hide. 



The bonny-blue violets rustle and glow, 



All wrapped in their flannels tucked under the snow! 



Thy feet, welcome April, I hear on the hills, 



And thy laugh in the sound of each girgling nil. 



The old brown is turning to emerald hue. 



And the meads and the woodlands are clad in the 



I joy in thy brightness, I drink of thy light. 



Kiss the hem of thy garment all broidered with 



white. 

 With a smile on thy lips, and a tear in thine eye. 

 Thou art come fickle April, so lovely and shy ! 

 All birds are thy orchestra, glad in thy wake, 

 The prince of the forest, the mountain, the lake ! 

 The earth owns thy power on land and on sea — 

 Oh, welcome sweet April, thou child of the free ! 

 The ice king recedes when thy step draws a near. 

 And the tulip and crocus cry, lo, spring is here ! 



