298 THE CULTIVATION OF THE 



the buds of fruit trees begin to expand in the spring. 

 After pairing, the female lays her eggs, in great numbers, 

 near each other, on the young leaves and blossoms, or 

 on the newly formed fruit and shoots. The eggs are 

 oblong, yellowish, and look something like grains of 

 pollen. The young insects hatched therefrom resemble 

 wingless plant-lice, and are of a dark yellow color. 

 They change their skins and color repeatedly, and 

 acquire wing-scales, or rudimentary wings. They then 

 fix themselves to the bark in rows, and remain sucking 

 the sap till their last change approaches, at which time 

 they disperse among the leaves, cast off their skins and 

 appear in the winged form. When considerable numbers 

 attack a Pear tree, it soon assumes an unhealthy appear- 

 ance, its growth is checked, its leaves and shoots curl 

 up, and the tree dies by degrees, if not freed from its 

 troublesome guests. 



To destroy the Pear Psylla, Koller recommends 

 brushing them off. etc., which would be too slow for the 

 large Peninsula orchards. For its destruction, I would 

 recommend the application of the following wash which 

 I have received from Washington through the courtesy 

 of the Superintendent of the grounds attached to the 

 Agricultural Department ; Mr. Wm. Saunders. 



This wash has been used in the grounds with great suc- 

 cess in the blight of Pear trees, being applied as a paint as 

 often as necessary when the bark is injured, or apparently 



