DISEASES OF THE APPLE TREE ] 



Three species of small weevils belonging to the 

 genus Rhynchites puncture the base of the new shoots, 

 which soon die or are easily broken off by the wind. 

 These weevils are Rhynchites conicus 111. which is dark 

 blue covered with dark hairs, Rh. betuleti Fb. which is 

 metallic blue or green, and Rh. Bacchus L. which is 

 metallic red, and thickly covered with hairs. These three 

 species are common in Italy, France and Germany, 

 where also the three wood borers Magdalis Pruni L., 

 M. barbicornis Latr., and Pogonochaeros hispidiis Fb. 

 are found tunnelling under the bark of old stems and 

 branches, and lower down the trunk are replaced by 

 Scolytus Pruni Ratz., S. ruguiosus Kock. and Liopus 

 nebulosus L., but none of them can compare in des- 

 tructiveness with our wood borers, Cerambyx miles Bon. 

 and Capnodis tenebrionis L. which attack the base of 

 the trunk of the apple, and of all other pome fruits 

 with the exception of the loquat, and sooner or later 

 kill the tree unless it throws up new suckers to replace 

 the old stem. : rm.n 



