DISEASES OF THE MULBERRY;] 167 



There are two fungi which often attack the leaves 

 of the mulberry late in summer, viz : Phyllosticta 

 morifolia Pass, and Phleospora moricola (Pass) Sacc., 

 but as they generally appear when the silkworm has 

 already made its cocoon and the fruit season is over, 

 they are not of much practical importance, although 

 of course a severe attack may sometimes interfere with 

 the proper ripening of the wood of that year's growth. 

 However, these diseases would be a serious hindrance 

 against the rearing of certain races of silkworms which 

 have two or three breeds during the summer, but 

 for the fact that the infection is usually limited to 

 the older leaves which are considered too coarse to 

 be fed to the silkworm, particularly in the early stages 

 of its life. 



The scale insects are the only important animal 

 parasites affecting the mulberry. Diaspis pentagona, Targ. 

 a scale belonging to the Diaspineae, is common on 

 mulberries and other trees all over Italy. It has been 

 introduced into these Islands in 1912 along with plants 

 brought over from Sicily, but early action was taken 

 and the danger has been completely eliminated, so that 

 this insect which attacks also other fruit trees as well 

 as many ornamental trees and shrubs, at present does 

 not exist anywhere in these Islands. This is a solitary 

 case of an insect parasite introduced in these Islands 

 and stamped out at once by human agency before it 

 could spread and become established. In Japan, the 

 United States, South Africa, Italy and Algeria this scale 

 insect is kept very well in check by Prospaltella Berlesei 

 a gnat-like Hymenopterous insect. 



Aspidiotus Hederae Vallot var. moricola, is a frequent 

 pest on the mulberry, sometimes covering the branches 

 and the stem of young trees by a thick layer of small 

 round white scales, which exhaust the tree and check its 

 growth. Often the leaves become thickly dotted with the 

 parasites, so that only the new or upper leaves on which 



