150 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



attack and devour the leaves of the 

 pear, cherry, and other trees, 'just as 

 they are expanding, and thus materially 

 retard the growth which would other- 

 wise take place. In the larval state 

 they closely resemble the common 

 '• white grub," and are equally injuri- 

 ous, feeding on the tender succulent 

 I'oots of plants, especially strawberries. 

 This insect, however, is seldom met 

 with in any great abundance, and on 

 tliis account is not generally known as 

 injurious. 



BARK LICE. 



Mr. W. A. Webstei', of Stoney 

 Creek, sends us some specimens of bark 

 lice attached to a thin slice of bark, and 

 asks, " What are they ?" " Do they 

 injure the trees?" "What remedy is 

 best for therr 1" 



They are what is known as the oyster- 

 shell bark louse [Mytilaspis pomorum), 

 which is, unfortunately, too common 

 on apple trees throughout Ontario. 

 Under each of these scales is a mass of 

 eggs varying in number from twenty 

 to a hundred, or more, which hatch 

 late in May or early in June, producing 

 small lice about one hundredth of an 

 inch long, which are at first A-ery active, 

 running all over the tender twigs of 

 the ti-ee, seeking suitable locations to 

 which to attach themselves. Having 

 made their selection they insert their 

 tiny sharp beaks and remain motion- 

 less, subsisting upon the sap of the 

 tree. They gradually lose their limbs, 

 and secrete over themselves a scaly 

 covering, which is enlarged with the 

 growth of the insect, until it presents 

 the mature form as in the samples sent. 



These lice are very injurious. They 

 occur ill great numbers, and seriously 

 weaken, and sometimes destroy the 

 trees invaded. 



Remedies. — During the winter or 

 early in spring the scales may be scraped 

 off, or removed with a stiff scrubbing 

 brush, dipped in a strong solution of 

 soap. The young lice may be destroyed 

 by brushing the twigs with a strong- 

 solution of soap in water, made about 

 the consistence of thin paint. 



ICHN'EUMON COCOONS. 



Another correspondent sends a clus- 

 ter of white egg-shaped bodies, each 

 about an eighth of an inch long, at- 

 tached to a piece of bark, and enquires, 

 " What are these eggs ]" These are 

 not eggs, but small cocoons of a species 

 of Ichneumon fly, a class of insects 

 including some of the fruit growers 

 best friends. Each of these small 

 cocoons produces a minute, but very 

 active fly, which deposits its eggs in 

 the body of some caterpillar, where the 

 young grubs hatched from them feed 

 upon the body of the victim selected 

 and destroy it. Do not injure or kill 

 anv of this useful class of insects. 



Mr. E::)Itor, — Please set us right in 

 our doubts : — 



First — Is it not the best and surest 

 way, in the cultivation of the straw- 

 berry, to root out all that are not show- 

 ing bloom in the first spring of plant- 

 ing, for fear tliey should be barren 

 plants, and their i-unners be in time 

 mixed with those that are fertile or 

 fruitful 1 



Secondly — It is said the Cap Rasp- 

 berries are only propagated from the 

 tips. I think they can be propagated. 



