9S GARDEN FOES. 



their pith. It appears that the female lays its eggs upon 

 the fruit of the eurrant, and that the young caterpillar 

 feeds, in its earlier stages, upon the seed in the fruit. In 

 a short time it quits the fruit and seeks the base of the 

 buds on the shoots, there burying and hiding itself in a 

 small cocoon to pass the winter. The following spring 

 the cateri)illar comes out of its cocoon, and then inune- 

 diately starts and bores its way into, and feeds upon, tlie 

 pith of the shoot. As a result the foliage begins to wither, 

 and the shoot to die. 



Kemedie^!. — Wherever the shoots are found to be wither- 

 ing in the spring they should be cut off and promptly 

 burnt. Practically, this is really the only remedy that 

 can be adopted, as, owing to the caterpillars feeding 

 inside the shoots, it is difficult to reach them by means 

 of an insecticide. 



Dot Moth (Mamestra persicarine). — In some seasons 

 fi'uit trees are apt to be infested with the larviTt> of the 

 J)ot Moth. When very prevalent this pest is very vora- 

 cious, devouring the foliage to an alarming extent. It 

 does not confine its attention to gooseberries alone ; it is 

 also very partial to the currant and raspberry. The cater- 

 ])illars vary a good deal in colour. They have pale green 

 or brown bodies, bordered on each side by a white line, 

 a)i<l with a white line running down the back. When 

 fully grown the caterpillar measures one and a-half inches 

 or more in length. The parent has rich dark-brown fore- 

 wings, marked with chestnut or rust, and with pale spots 

 at the tips. In the centre of each wing is a conspicuous 

 white dot, hence the common name. The caterpillars 

 feed during summer and autumn, and commence to pupate 

 about the end of September. 



Remedies. — (1) Spray the infested bushes thoroughly 

 with Kerosene Emulsion (No. 16). (2) Where only a few 

 are present hand-picking is the best remedy. 



Gooseberry and Currant Scale (Lecanium per- 

 sicjie sarothamni). — This insect infests the stems of the 



