MITES. 



57 



which have been sown the earhest have been found to do best. On the 

 contrary, those in the same locality, sown as late as April, liave 

 suffered greatly. Being young and tender at the time of attack of the 

 fly, they were much more open to injury. 



Also if attack is noticed at a very early stage, there may be some 

 benefit frdm giving fertilizing dressings, but there is a great risk at 

 best, of the young shoots pushed on by these giving a crop of uneven 

 date of ripening. For notes on these points, see my 12th and 13tli 

 Keports before referred to. 



Mites (in Hay). Tyror/hjphus lomjior, Gervais. 



iYllOGLYl'HUS liONGIOR. 



T. lonfiior, from figure byFumoze and Eobin ; claw with sucker of Tyroahiphus ; 

 right-hand side, from Murray's ' Aptera ' ; left-hand side, figured by Ed. from life : 

 all magnified. 



The minute " Hay Mites," of which each Mite is so small in itself 

 that they are scarcely observable, excepting in the great masses in 

 which they may be found round infested stacks, or where they have 

 fallen from infested haylofts, have again been enquired about, from a 

 few new localities, in the past season. 



These Acari differ very little from the common Cheese Mites, in 

 nature as well as appearance, but under a powerful magnifying-glass 

 they are distinguishable, as shown in the above figure, by the much 

 greater length of the hairs. 



For several years back they have been reported occasionally as 

 being found in great quantities, dropping " by shovelfuls " from 

 infested stacks or lofts, or lying an inch or more deep round stacks, or 

 the hay itself being alive with them. Also (and naturally) those not 

 acquainted with the infestation are apt to feel not a little anxious as to 

 what the effect of these living dust-like masses, or the same creatures 

 pervading the whole of a hay or cloverstack, may be on the stock fed 



