PEAR LEAF-BLISTER MITES. 93 



The treatment of destroying the galled buds taken in connection 

 with syringing of Paris-green on the bushes, and dressing with caustic 

 lime below them, has been found so serviceable on two years' experi- 

 ence of its effects by Mr, John Biggs, of Laxton, Howden, East 

 Yorkshire, that I repeat his note of experiment of 1892, together with 

 his observation contributed this year (1893) of the continued success. 



Mr. Biggs observed, writing on the 20th of April (1892): — "You 

 will, I am sure, be interested in knowing that I have, to a certain ex- 

 tent, prevented the Phytoptus utterly ruining my Black Currant trees. 

 As you suggested in a letter of last March, we syringed the bushes 

 twice with the solution of Paris-green, which I procured from Messrs. 

 Blundell,* and gave the soil all under the bushes a good coating of 

 caustic lime. I also gave the bushes another dressing of the Paris-green. 

 Just when the buds appeared this spring I had a boy gathering all the 

 little knobs oft' the trees. The result has proved as satisfactory as I 

 could expect, considering the condition of the trees last year, and I 

 have every prospect of securing a good half crop. Our neighbour's 

 trees, in this village, are utterly ruined, scarcely a leaf to be seen this 

 year, and the trees completely covered with the affected knobs." — 

 (J. B.) 



On the 7th of March of the past season (1893), Mr. Biggs wrote as 

 follows: — "I may say with reference to the Phi/tophis, that I have very 

 few infested Currant trees this spring, and I am confident the treat- 

 ment of Paris-green and caustic lime is a valuable remedy. As soon 

 as the buds open out slightly, I intend syringing the trees, and hope to 

 completely eradicate the pest without injuring the trees otherwise than 

 by cutting off some of the worst infected branches." — (J, B.) 



This treatment, it will be seen, comprehends method of cure, or 

 prevention for the Mite presence, in all the three localities in which we 

 have to do with them. There is the mechanical measure of breaking 

 off the infested buds and destroying them, by which we get rid quite 

 safely and surely of all the Mites and eggs on which we can lay our 

 hand. Then secondly, the syringing with Paris-green poisons the 

 surfaces of the stems, or other parts of the bush on which the Mites 

 are wandering free, so that those which are straying about are killed ; 

 and thirdly, the good dressing under the bushes with caustic lime gets 

 rid of such of the pests as are harbouring about fallen leaves, or in any 

 shelter on the surface of the ground. On the face of the thing the plan 

 seems to meet the various needs of the case. The applications might 

 be varied experimentally, where there was objection to use of Paris- 

 green, by trying good washings with soft-soap and paraffin, or soft-soap 

 and sulphur, or a mixture of some gas-lime with the caustic lime. 



* Address of the firm is, Messrs. Blundell & Spence, Hull, 



