146 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



in May, or a little later, and the young scatter in different direc- 

 tions npon the trunk and limits. This seems to be the time to 

 remove or destroy them to the best advantage, as their tender 

 bodies are very susceptible to such applications as soap-suds or 

 lye. Some, however, prefer to brush or scrape off the parent 

 shells and the loose, rough bark together; a hard rubbing of the 

 smaller infested limbs with coarse cloths, if faithfully attended 

 to is very efficacious. Dr. Harris recommends the application of 

 a wash made of " two parts soft-soap to eight of water, brought 

 to the consistency of thick whitewash by the addition of lime ; " 

 " a solution of two pounds of potash or a quart of common 'salt 

 in two gallons of water will also destroy them." The grape is 

 attacked by an insect of this family, of a larger size and of a 

 more reddish brown color and rounded form than the apple 

 scale ; these will be frequently found at the junction of the 

 smaller branches with the stem. In the State Cabinet there are 

 specimens of scale insects both from the vine and the pear tree, 

 which are very closely related to, if not identical with the Coccus 

 cryptogamus of Dalman, and may have been introduced from 

 Europe upon imported fruit trees. The actual shell of the 

 female is quite small, of a reddish brown color ; but the object 

 which most readily attracts attention is the flattened scale seem- 

 ingly composed of a dirty white wax, very thin, and of a more 

 rounded outline than the apple scale, resembling somewhat in 

 form one valve of the oyster shell ; one extremity of this carries 

 the female's body-case, and other shells are seen scattered upon 

 and adhering closely to the bark in the vicinity. Dr. Harris 

 considers these the pupa cases of the male. The whitish scale 

 is composed of the excretions from the body of the female, and 

 serves to shelter the young in the same manner as the entire 

 case of the female apple scale. The adult males of most if not 

 all of the CoccidcB are extremely minute, but furnished with 

 wings and other organs as perfect in their microscopic details as 

 those of the largest insect. Our oaks and other forest trees are 

 frequently attacked by other species of these little sap-suckers, 

 varying somewhat in form, but all easily recognized as belonging 

 to tliis class, and the remedies to be applied are the same 

 already recommended for those of the apple. Some insects of 

 this group are extremely useful to mankind in the arts and 

 manufactures. The Cochineal, a bright red dye too well known 



