168 



NOTES ON THE BULB-MITE. 



By FRED. H. DAVBT. 



By not a few horticulturists and gardeners in the west, will 

 the early spring months of 1896 be remembered, for reasons 

 other than their phenomenal clemency. In addition to the 

 depredations of the hordes of destructive insects, with which 

 they have at all times to contend, great mischief has been 

 wrought during the season, and in a few instances severe losses 

 have been incurred, by the ravages of a minute yet formidable 

 pest, which has devoted its attention to such valuable and showy 

 bulbous plants as the hyacinth and narcissus. The loss sustained, 

 by two or three of the writer's acquaintances, runs to thousands of 

 plants, while records of lesser damage are all too frequent. 

 Such is the extent to which one cultivator has been visited by 

 the plague that the whole of his crop, laid in at considerable 

 expense, has been practically destroyed. Whole houses of 

 plants have had to bow before the microscopic pest, and hopes 

 of a profitable crop have been doomed to sore disappointment. 

 In some instances portions of the crop made no start whatever 

 after being planted, probably owing to the presence of the enemy 

 in extraordinary numbers. Others assumed various stages of 

 growth, a few of the more robust even giving promise of flower. 

 In all cases, however, the leaves soon changed to a sickly hue, 

 and shortly after, drooped and died. Specimens sent to me for 

 microscopic examination, with the instrument so kindly placed 

 at my disposal, a year or two since, by Mr. J. D. Enys, have 

 afforded me opportunity for acquainting myself with the life- 

 history of the little creature which is the author of all this 

 spoliation ; and as, in spite of its destructive proclivities, it is a 

 most interesting bit of animality, and is but little known, it may 

 benefit some if I record what I saw. 



The plants submitted to me betrayed the presence of the 

 foe in divers ways. On a few, the roots had dwindled to the 

 merest apologies for such essential organs, and were absolutely 

 incapable of obtaining for the plant its necessary supply of food 



