300 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



not, many of them, need any information in regard to the 

 destruction of insects, there are others who do, and the con- 

 versation led to reflections which induced our present remarks. 



The pine tree weevil is another. This little pest, which 

 despoils our plantations of evergreen trees, particularly the 

 splendid Norway spruces, by destroying the terminal shoot, 

 is scarcely known, or, if known, its habits are not familiar. 

 Suddenly the terminal shoot of some favorite Norway spruce 

 or white pine begins to fade and droop, as if scorched by the 

 sun, and the cultivator frequently does not know the cause, 

 and allows the shoot to remain, or, if he cuts it ofi", he fears 

 to injure the tree by cutting it off low enough : thus the in- 

 sects are left on the tree, from which they soon emerge 

 to deposit their eggs upon the branches of other trees, thus 

 spreading their devastating ravages. A little knowledge 

 would thus prevent, or at least lessen, the destruction, for if 

 the shoot is cut off, the moment it shows any sign of droop- 

 ing, several inches below the injury, and immediately burnt, 

 every weevil is destroyed, and further mischief prevented, 

 unless they approach from neighboring trees. 



The scale and jumping louse, which infest the pear tree, 

 are but little known. They are very injurious to the tree, 

 and are the only insects which severely prey upon it. The 

 scales suck up the juices of the tree, discolor the bark, and 

 eventually destroy it. Upon the approach of winter, they 

 deposit their eggs, protected by the old dry scale. In May 

 they hatch out, and if, at that time, the trees are washed with 

 whale oil soap, it will completely destroy them. The jump- 

 ing louse is comparatively a new insect, and few cultivators 

 know anything about it. Its effects are visible in almost every 

 collection, but they are not specially known to be caused by 

 this troublesome louse. Very little is yet known of its hab- 

 its. But undoubtedly the same application applied for the 

 scale will destroy their eggs, which are laid in the crevices 

 around the bud. Their presence may be known by the fluid 

 which they discharge, which discolors and defiles the foliage 

 and fruit. 



These are but a few of the destructive insects which are 



