656 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



seasons these insects, derived from the first generation, produce eggs ; 

 wherefrom grow larvse, which voraciously devour the branches and 

 sprouts of the olive tree. When it commences fruiting, the tignuole re- 

 produce for the third time, after which they deposit their eggs at 

 the base of the fruit, wherefrom new larvre come out, and stay there 

 until they are in metamorphosis, and as long as the fruit remains on 

 the tree. 



To destroy said insects, Prof. Achille Costa published the bibio- 

 logia della tignuola, a copy of which I could not find in this city. The 

 Punteruolo is a " coleottero" belonging to the section of Xilofagl, and 

 its botanic name is Philojotribus olece. It also causes much damage to 

 the olive tree. For its treatment the same Professor Costa published a 

 report on the Agricoltura Meridionale (anno III, No. 13, 1880) and of 

 which I could not procure a copy in this place. 



Another small colleottero, Rosicante dell olivo (olive-eater), is the so- 

 called Hylesiuus oleiperda, a dark-colored insect covered with hair. 

 The larva is white and nests under the bark of the tree, and sucks the 

 life of the sap branches in the cell which it digs, accomplishes its trans- 

 formation, and flies away when perfected, about the month of May. It 

 then joins the female, which, having been impregnated, goes upon the 

 branches, which it wounds to deposit an egg, which forms a larva, as 

 above stated. To destroy the said insect some people propose to cut 

 off the perforated branches from the tree, while others recommend, as 

 soon as the insect attacks the plant and weakens it, to manure it, 

 plow and water the same so as to make it revive again. 



La Gantaride (Cantharide vescicantoria) is another insect belonging to 

 the coleottero order, tribic of the coleotteri vescicanti. From the deposi- 

 tion of the egg and its transformation into a perfect insect it undergoes 

 five stages, but only when it is perfected does it damage the olive tree. 



La cantarides appear in the month of June in extraordinary number, 

 when they dart in flight on the olive trees, feeding on the tender sprouts 

 and blossoms, and thus not only destroy the present crop, but even the, 

 one of the succeeding year. The cantharides are very common in con- 

 tinental Italy but not so numerous, while here in Sicily they cause 

 heavy damages. These agriculturists, however, perform an efficacious 

 method, as the only one to destroy the terrible coleottero. II consists 

 in shaking the branches early in the morning, and precisely when they 

 they are asleep, to make them fall on sheets expressly placed under the 

 trees. Thus gathered they are then sold to apothecaries for making 

 blistering plasters. 



La Psilla deW Olivo (Psylla olivina) as well as FAtide (Aphis adonis) 

 form a sort of a white down under the arm-pits of the branches and 

 leaves. The Aphis abide under the same, feeding on the humor of the 

 trees, which become sickly and sometimes die if the infected branches 

 are not cut off at once. The said aphis, well known in tlie United 

 States for 1 remember my boys used to catch them on trees on Canal 



