442 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



^ 



insect enemies were recently sent to the author of the present work 

 from Yokohama by Mr. Max Koebele, the distinguished investigator, 

 of means to cope by counteracting insect-life with some of the worst 

 diseases principally of orchard-plants : 



Chryptolaemus Montronzieri. This will keep greenhouses free of 

 all the so-called white lice, Dactylopidae and like forms. It also will 

 feed to some extent upon all the Lecaninae, and of these especially 

 Pulvinaria. This beetle is of the greatest value to all the tropical 

 countries where all such Coccids abound, as will shortly be proved 

 in the islands of Hawaii, where I have introduced the same. 



Equally valuable as a predatious insect is Rhizobius ventralis Er 

 which will feed upon the various Lecaninae and indeed is able to free 

 any orchard of these pests in a comparatively short time, as has been 

 proved in California recently at the Hon. Ellwood Cooper's orchard 

 near Santa Barbara ; from two small boxes liberated the orchards 

 became free of the pest and some 1,200 colonies had been sent out 

 from the same within about one year. 



Many other instances of the value of these predatory Australian 

 insects could be stated, yet I must refer you to my " Studies of Para- 

 sitic and Predatious Insects in New Zealand, Australia and Adjacent 

 Islands," United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, 

 1893. 



The value of Vidalia cardinalis upon Icerya has become well known 

 all over the world since its introduction into California, 1888-9 ; this 

 beetle breeds about fifteen times annually if not more ; JKhizobiuS 

 ventralis has from ten to twelve broods, and Chryptolaemus Montron- 

 zieri still less, as they do not breed during the winter-months. 

 The ordinary aphid -feeding Coccinella have but about two broods 

 annually. 



In Ceylon I found two Chalcidae, which are of the highest value for 

 Australia ; one lives on the different species of Ceroplastes or wax- 

 insects, the other on the eggs of the Oncoscelis sulciventris, Stal., so 

 injurious to Citrus. 



Pyrus nivalis, Jacquin. 



The Snow-Pear. Middle and Southern Europe. This would be 

 adapted for orchards in higher mountain-regions. The fruit becomes 

 soft and edible through exposure to snow. P. amygdaliformis 

 (Villars) or P. Kotschyana (Boissier) is probably the wild state of 

 this tree. Pear-cider is often made of the fruit of this species also. 



Pyrus rivularis, Douglas. 



The Crabapple-tree of North- Western America. Fruit prized by 

 the aborigines for food [G-. Dawson] ; likely amenable to cultural 

 improvements. Dr. C. Koch draws attention to the probable identity 

 of P. Toringo (Siebold) from Japan. 



