﻿i 
  

  

  11 
  

  

  Zhitkov 
  (Gr). 
  PaSoTbi 
  1912 
  r. 
  OaiueecKaro 
  onbiTHaro 
  ntcHUHecTBa 
  

   no 
  MsyweHiK) 
  maiiCKaro 
  wyna 
  [Studies 
  on 
  Melolontha 
  in 
  the 
  

   Fastchevsk 
  experimental 
  forest, 
  Govt, 
  of 
  Tambov, 
  in 
  1912.] 
  — 
  

   « 
  JltCHan 
  )KM3Hb 
  H 
  XoSflMCTBO 
  » 
  [" 
  Forest 
  Life 
  and 
  Economy''], 
  

   — 
  Tambov, 
  1913, 
  no. 
  6, 
  pp. 
  6-17, 
  no. 
  7, 
  pp. 
  4-17, 
  and 
  no. 
  8, 
  pp. 
  

   18-25. 
  

  

  The 
  Fastchevsk 
  forest 
  was 
  formed 
  principally 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  study 
  

   the 
  best 
  means 
  of 
  fighting 
  Melolontha, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  serious 
  pest 
  

   of 
  pine 
  forests. 
  In 
  1912, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  cold 
  weather 
  prevailing, 
  

   the 
  flpng 
  of 
  the 
  beetles 
  was 
  noticed 
  only 
  on 
  the 
  13th 
  May 
  

   at 
  an 
  air 
  temperature 
  of 
  14^0. 
  (34-5^F.) 
  and 
  a 
  soil 
  temperature 
  of 
  

   0-2°C. 
  (32-3''F.) 
  ; 
  on 
  the 
  14th 
  May 
  the 
  temperature 
  fell 
  again, 
  and 
  not 
  

   until 
  the 
  19th 
  May, 
  when 
  the 
  weather 
  became 
  definitely 
  warmer, 
  did 
  

   the 
  flight 
  in 
  great 
  masses 
  begin. 
  The 
  author 
  describes 
  first 
  the 
  results 
  

   of 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  beetles 
  en 
  masse', 
  about 
  564 
  poods 
  (181 
  cwt.) 
  of 
  

   insects 
  were 
  collected 
  and 
  destroyed. 
  For 
  each 
  pound 
  of 
  insects 
  

   collected 
  five 
  kopeks 
  (IJd.) 
  were 
  paid, 
  and 
  on 
  some 
  days 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  

   24 
  cwt. 
  were 
  brought 
  in. 
  Only 
  specimens 
  of 
  Melolontha 
  hippocastani 
  

   were 
  obtained, 
  in 
  two 
  varieties, 
  one 
  with 
  dark 
  legs 
  and 
  black 
  scutellum 
  

   (this 
  being 
  in 
  the 
  majority), 
  and 
  another 
  with 
  pale 
  legs 
  and 
  reddish 
  

   scutellum. 
  No 
  specimens 
  of 
  Melolontha. 
  vulgaris 
  were 
  found. 
  With 
  

   regard 
  to 
  oviposition, 
  observ^ations 
  have 
  shown 
  that 
  the 
  females 
  avoid 
  

   bare 
  places, 
  though 
  bare 
  fallow 
  is 
  not 
  an 
  absolute 
  protection 
  against 
  

   oviposition, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  females 
  dig 
  holes 
  for 
  their 
  eggs 
  in 
  places 
  not 
  

   exposed 
  to 
  the 
  rays 
  of 
  the 
  sun, 
  the 
  eggs 
  not 
  being 
  able 
  to 
  develop 
  in 
  

   dry 
  soil. 
  In 
  such 
  exposed 
  places 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  plants, 
  the 
  appearance 
  

   or 
  smell 
  of 
  which 
  would 
  prevent 
  the 
  female 
  ovipositing 
  near 
  them 
  ; 
  

   rye 
  alone 
  seemed 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  favoured 
  by 
  them. 
  

  

  Experiments 
  conducted 
  to 
  show 
  whether 
  the 
  insects 
  can 
  fly 
  for 
  long 
  

   distances 
  did 
  not 
  prove 
  conclusive, 
  for 
  no 
  marked 
  beetles 
  were 
  re- 
  

   captured. 
  The 
  insects 
  are 
  not 
  attracted 
  by 
  light. 
  

  

  The 
  author 
  refers 
  to 
  the 
  statement 
  that 
  white 
  alder 
  grown 
  in 
  

   nurseries 
  will 
  protect 
  them 
  against 
  the 
  insects, 
  but 
  on 
  one 
  plot 
  on 
  

   which 
  alders 
  were 
  sown 
  in 
  1910-11, 
  the 
  insects 
  appeared 
  just 
  as 
  usual. 
  

   Observations 
  are 
  still 
  required 
  as 
  to 
  how 
  the 
  larvae 
  behave 
  towards 
  

   the 
  roots 
  of 
  alders, 
  and 
  how 
  it 
  is 
  that 
  this 
  tree 
  withstands 
  their 
  attacks. 
  

   Experiments 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  various 
  insecticides 
  in 
  protecting 
  the 
  

   roots 
  of 
  trees 
  from 
  the 
  larvae 
  were 
  made, 
  and 
  Paris 
  green, 
  arsenic, 
  

   barium 
  chloride, 
  naphthalin 
  and 
  tobacco 
  dust 
  proved 
  harmless 
  to 
  the 
  

   young 
  seedings, 
  except 
  Paris 
  green, 
  when 
  used 
  in 
  a 
  proportion 
  of 
  more 
  

   than 
  3 
  J 
  drams 
  in 
  2 
  "7 
  gallons 
  of 
  water, 
  and 
  naphthalin 
  in 
  a 
  proportion 
  

   of 
  J 
  lb. 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  quantity 
  of 
  water. 
  The 
  plots 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  

   surface 
  of 
  the 
  roots 
  had 
  been 
  poisoned 
  with 
  these 
  insecticides 
  were 
  

   afterwards 
  artificially 
  infected 
  with 
  larvae 
  of 
  Melolontha, 
  in 
  one 
  case 
  

   also 
  those 
  of 
  Serica, 
  but 
  no 
  damage 
  was 
  noticed 
  in 
  the 
  autumn 
  of 
  1912 
  ; 
  

   these 
  experiments 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  repeated 
  in 
  1913. 
  As 
  to 
  the 
  supposed 
  

   preventive 
  influence 
  of 
  straw 
  and 
  dry 
  oak 
  leaves, 
  the 
  experiments 
  

   did 
  not 
  prove 
  conclusive, 
  although 
  they 
  produced 
  no 
  evidence 
  against 
  

   these 
  remedies. 
  The 
  author 
  is 
  not 
  satisfied 
  that 
  birches 
  ought 
  to 
  be 
  

   excluded 
  from 
  pine 
  plantations 
  ; 
  although 
  they 
  no 
  doubt 
  serve 
  as 
  

   food 
  for 
  the 
  insects, 
  the 
  same 
  applies 
  also 
  to 
  every 
  young 
  tree 
  with 
  

   tender 
  leaves 
  : 
  — 
  oak, 
  ash, 
  lime, 
  hazel, 
  and 
  sorb. 
  The 
  author 
  con- 
  

  

  