No. 1. ] Fruit Trees, 65 



The falling-off in the condition of the trees and the non-ripening 

 of the fruits is rightly attributed at this period to the scale, which 

 sucks out the sap from the flower and young leaf-bearing branches 

 and causes them to dry up. The damage done in the earlier stages of 

 the pest has been, however, usually attributed to more easily visible 

 insects which may have been present in the orchard at the time, and 

 it is therefore to these earlier stages that attention must be drawn. 

 In April and May when the mature females are seen walking up and 

 down the trees or upon the ground below they have finished their 

 feeding operations, have paired with the males, and are on the look out 

 for suitable places in which to lay their eggs. The damage to the 

 orchard has been done for that year and all that can be then 

 attempted is to prevent its re-occurrence in the succeeding one. The 

 eggs of the mango variety of the pest have not yet been obtained, but 

 they and the method of egg-laying are likely to closely resemble 

 that of their near relation the sal monophlebus. In the case of this 

 latter the eggs are laid in a loose white silken net-like sac, over 450 

 small pink shining eggs being laid by a single female. The insect 

 seeks some crevice in the bark of fallen trees or stems, etc., on the 

 ground to hide beneath, extrudes this silken sac containing the eggs 

 from her body and dies, her dead skin remaining as a partial covering, 

 above it. 



Remedies. — Three forms of remedies may be recommended, 

 either of which should tend to reduce the numbers of the pest in the 

 orchard : — 



1. In the younger stages it would prove useful to spray the trees 

 with kerosene emulsion. This would kill off the young female larvae 

 on the leaves and twigs. 



2. It has been stated that the insects walk about up and down the 

 trees a good deal when approaching their full growth, say, from the 

 middle of March onwards. It is therefore recommended that a 

 broad band, about 2 feet deep, of some sticky material be painted 

 round the trees at a height of 4 feet from the ground. A good mate- 

 rial is a mixture of tar and glue as, if properly mixed, it will remain 

 sticky for several months. Any convenient and easily procurable 

 material may be used, it being remembered that the chief essential is 

 that the band should retain its stickiness and be well put on. If the 

 material dries quickly, it must be constantly renewed. This band 

 should be placed upon the trees about the middle of March or earlier 

 if the insects are seen to be walking about. The object of the sticky 

 ring is to entrap all wandering scales. Those endeavouring to cross 

 the band will stick fast and eventually die. The band is, however ( 

 more especially useful later on when the scales, having paired 



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