Plant Diseases and Insects. 109 



Smith, of the Division of Mycology of the Department at 

 Washington, has carefully studied lately and described in 

 great detail as a new species under the name of Aphis persicce- 

 niger, but which I have reason to believe is the Aphis prunicola 

 of Kaltenbach. 



''The Italians have been making a very interesting fight 

 against an insect which has threatened their very important 

 and extensive silk industry by its attacks upon the mulberry 

 tree. This insect was described by Targioni Tozzetti in 1885 

 as Diaspis pentagona. It occurs upon a number of different 

 trees, among them the paper mulberry, the spindle tree, the 

 peach, the cherry, laurel, and certain willows, as well as upon 

 the cultivated white mulberry, and it would seem that its taste 

 for the latter tree is one recently acquired, judging from the late 

 date at which the habit has attracted attention. The energetic 

 director of the entomological experiment station at Florence in- 

 vestigated the pest in 1886 and recommended the use of 

 mechanical means at the time of hatching of the young, viz ; 

 the scrubbing of the trunks and large branches with stiff 

 brushes and a subsequent application of a mixture of soap 

 and water with 4 or 5 per cent, of kerosene. 



''Professor Franceschini, the editor of the Rivistade Bacchi- 

 coltura, recommended the adoption of the Balbiani formula as 

 used against phylloxera and consisting of crude tar oil, naph- 

 thalin, quick lime, and water ; the naphthalin being dissolved 

 in the tar oil, and the water and lime afterwards added together. 

 The insect appeared first in several cantons of the province of 

 Como and speedily spread to the adjoining localities. The 

 matter was brought to the attention of the Ministry of Agricul- 

 ture and a commission was appointed, consisting of Professor 

 Targioni Tozzetti, Dr. Alpe, and Dr. Andres, who immediately 

 familiarized themselves with the methods in use in this country 

 and have made extensive experiments with our kerosene emul- 

 sion, with our fumigating processes, and with other new reme- 

 dies. The subject has been taken in hand with great vigor, 

 and the government has interested itself to the extent of ap- 

 pointing inspectors in the different communes in the infested 

 territory and establishing regulations which oblige the imme- 

 diate report of new localities and the adoption of measures of 

 extinction, when ordered by inspectors. These regulations 

 also provide that the inspectors must do the work at the ex- 



