THE BLACK-CURRANT GALL-MITE. / 



number being present in October of those present in February. 

 Where two dustings were given, a distinctly marked diminution 

 over those receiving one dusting was shown; whilst where three 

 dustings were applied the mite was almost exterminated. It must 

 be borne in mind that neither a sprayfluid nor dry application will 

 reach the eggs in the buds, and it seems clear that the number of 

 adult mites which successfully migrated from the old buds into 

 the new ones was very small indeed. In all cases the mites found 

 were immature specimens. 



SPRAYING WITH LIME AND SULPHUR. The results obtained by 

 spraying were not so good as those by dusting. A larger number 

 of buds were affected, and in many of them there were adult and 

 immature mites and eggs. The differences between the one, two, 

 or three applications of the sprayfluid were quite in keeping with 

 those found to obtain where dusting had been done. The fewer 

 the applications, the more buds affected, and the greater the 

 number of mites. 



SPRAYING WITH SOFT SOAP AND SULPHUR. Row 7 was sprayed 

 twice with the sprayfluid above-mentioned. When the bushes were 

 examined in October, a fairly large number of big buds were 

 noticed; there were, however, nothing like so many as in the 

 previous February : roughly estimated, I should think about one- 

 third the number. In many of these buds, twelve to twenty adult 

 mites were present, many immature specimens, and a few eggs. 

 The result of an examination of eighty-six suspected buds gave an 

 average of four adults, nine immature mites, and three eggs per 

 bud. 



SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION. 



After the experiments which have been made, I feel convinced 

 that the application of lime and sulphur will keep this mite in 

 check, and, if the dusting or spraying is continued, will, eventually 

 entirely eradicate the pest. 



Various statements have appeared in a section of the horti- 

 cultural and agricultural press, stating that there is no likelihood 

 of a cure, or even of means whereby the mite can be kept in check, 

 and further that its life-history is very imperfectly understood.* 

 I would warn all fruit-growers against such misleading statements. 

 The life-history is now practically fully known, and the experi- 

 ments which I have conducted, and which have now extended over 

 seven years, have yielded results, checked by many large fruit- 

 growers, which clearly point to the fact that the application of 

 lime and sulphur offers an effective remedy. 



It is interesting to note in this particular that the destructive 

 rust or silver mite of the orange and lemon has been combated in 

 a similar manner. In 1889. according to Mr. Marlatt,t large 

 quantities of citrus trees were obtained from Florida, and a species 



* I im sorry to have to include the Journ. Roy. Agric. Soc., 1905, vol. 66, pp. 178-181, amongst these, 

 t U.S. Dept. Agric., Farmer's Bull., No. 172, 1903, pp. 38-41. 



