TEACH AND THE TEAR. 295 



OVERFEEDING. 

 Trees may be injured by overfeeding as well as by 

 starvation, and it becomes the liberal grower to watch 

 closely the effect of his freely applied fertilizers. 

 CRACKINCx OF THE FRUIT. 

 This comes from a fungus on the fruit and the best 

 remedy is salt to the trees, with good culture generally. 

 Dry weather and heat may also crack some varieties. 

 DECAYING OF THE FRUIT. 

 The decaying of fruit from fruit parasites has been 

 spoken of. The natural decay, as here alluded to, must 

 be combatted by proper culture, and prompt and proper 

 attention to the fruit before and after it has been picked. 

 THE PEAR TREE BORER.— y^£6'ri a Pyri. 

 It is thus described by Harris : 



Its wings expand rather more than half an inch, are 

 transparent, but veined, bordered, and fringed with pur- 

 plish black, and across the tips of the fore wings is a 

 broad, dark band, glossed with coppery tints ; the prevail- 

 ing color of the upper side of the body is purple black ; 

 but most of the under side is golden yellow, as are the 

 edges of the collar, of the shoulder covers, and of the 

 fan-shaped brush on the tail, and there is a broad, yellow 

 band across the middle of the abdomen, preceded by two 

 narrow bands of the same color. 



