Liine-Growing on Clay Soils. 399 
tinted flowers and ruthless spines, the wild cassava vine and numerous 
other bushes and creepers, to deal with the more serious business of 
keeping a bright look-out for the parasite known as Bird Vine (Loranthus 
spp.). which finds the lime plant a very convenient host. 
This Demerara mistletoe is a most é¢old-blooded murderer. Its 
berries are particularly attractive to birds by means of which agency it 
is quickly propagated—carryine death and destruction wherever it is 
allowed to hold its sway. 
The disc, with which it is furnished, sticks to the stem of the tree 
and soon begins its work of death, draining the life sap of its host and 
spreading its wicked clutches eventually all over the branches until it 
sucks its host dry. As the tree gradually dries up it spreads to others 
and the careless or lazy planter wakes up to find a large portion of his 
cultivation attacked. The only way to deal with such a ruthless foe is 
vigorously to attack it on its very first appearance. Once it has gained 
a foothold, the cost of thorough eradication is almost prohibitive. The 
wise planter is at pains to see that no such trees as the casuarina and 
others which appear to be very liable to such attacks, are allowed to 
remain in the neighbourhood of his lime cultivation. 
Citrus plants of all kinds are ready preys for attacks of scale insects, 
but it is the man who is growing limes on a heavy clay who knows what 
these attacks will mean if not treated with that degree of promptitude 
which goes with recognition of the truth of the adage, “ Prevention is 
better than cure.” Limes on clay soils are most subject to attacks of 
such scale insects as the orange snow scale (Chionaspis citri), the West 
Indian red scale (Aspidiotus articulatus), and the brown shield scale, 
so commonly seen in this colony, (Lecuniuwm sp.), whilst a constant 
look-out must be kept for the most dangerous of all—the damaging 
mussel scale (Mytiluspis citricola.) 
To deal effectively with scale insects good knapsack-sprayers must 
be employed, and the art of correct and timely spraying must be 
thoroughly taught those who carry on this important branch of work. 
The compound rosin wash has been proved a most useful and cheap 
insecticide. Next, as the trees increase in size, all decayed and dead 
twigs and branches must be properly pruned away. 
Here again the labourer has, in this colony, to be carefully taught 
how to do this and how and when to apply antiseptics. Though limes, 
unlike oranges, require little pruning yet, nevertheless, young gormandiz- 
ing suckers must be removed if one has any regard to getting a good 
crop, and does not wish to see those branches which should be laden 
with fruit, dying back. 
Apart from seale insects we have found young nursery plants most 
severely attacked and damaged by Flea beetles (Hulticidae). These 
can prove most destructive. Our readers will doubtless be familiar with 
