2 84 THE FRUIT GARDEN 



because the attack is one of the regular recurring yearly troubles of the fruit 

 grower, and although the maggotty or worm-eaten condition of the young fruit, 

 which we know only too well as causing it to fall in quantities before it is large 

 enough to be of any use may sometimes arise from apple saw-fly presence or 

 from other infestation, yet for the most part the mischief is due to the larvae of 

 the codlin moth. Other of our orchard fruits are also liable to this infestation ; 

 pears, plums, peaches, quinces, and apricots are sometimes much injured. 

 Walnuts and chestnuts also have been found to be infested. As a prevention 

 and remedy, the following plan may be adopted : Wind a hay-band in three 

 coils tightly round the trunk of a tree at a little distance from the ground, and 

 apply other hay-bands to the larger branches. These bands should be placed 

 around the tree early in June, and kept on till fruit harvest ; further, they 

 should be pushed up or down and the worms or chrysalids crushed that were 

 under them every week or two. Also the trunk of the tree should be kept 

 free from rough old bark so as to give the worms no other place of shelter, and, 

 lastly, the ground itself should be kept free from rubbish. 



Cherry and Pear Saw-fly [Selandria atra). — The small blackish moist- 

 looking larvae of the cherry and pear saw-fly, known as slug-worms, from their 

 great resemblance to the little slimy slugs feeding on the upper sides of the 

 infested leaves, are often not recognised as caterpillars from their very peculiar 

 appearance, from which they take their name. , They feed on the leaves of 

 cherry, pear, plum, and sometimes on peach and quince, and they do serious 

 mischief by devouring the skin of the upper side of the leaf, so that the 

 remainder appears like a network of veins held together by the skin of the 

 lower side, which is left untouched and turns to a deep brown colour. The 

 destructive work of the caterpillars can be at times very rapid and complete. 

 The attack may be checked by dusting or spraying. The caterpillars, if 

 annoyed by throwing a caustic powder on them, such as quicklime or gas-lime, 

 can throw it off at first by exuding a coating of slime, and thus, as it were, 

 moulting off the obnoxious matter ; but they cannot continue this process, 

 therefore a second application of the powder (soon after the first) takes effect 

 and kills them. If a good time is allowed to elapse between the dressings 

 they will have regained the power to produce the slime exudation, and the 

 application will do little service. Heavily syringing the tree with strong 

 soapsuds applied by a powerful garden engine are very effective in getting rid 

 of this pest. Also a liberal dressing of lime and soot well mixed together is 

 a capital remedy ; in this case a thorough washing of the foliage on the 

 following day, so as to clear off the adhering coating, is needed to complete the 

 work. 



CURRANT 



Currant Aphides or Green-fly {Aphis ribis) are injurious by crowding 

 upon the under side of the leafage, and by their innumerable punctures and 

 drawing away of the sap, give rise to the brightly-coloured blistered growths 

 so often seen on the upper side of the currant leaf, and in bad attacks nearly 



