ON FRUIT CULTURE. 



983 



brumata), which, by reason of their widespread destructiveness, 

 commonness, and the partiality they display for several other trees, 

 are fairly well-known ; but there are others, like the Apple Sucker 

 {Pyslla malt), the Pith-Moth (Laverna vinolentella), or the Shot- 

 Borer Beetle (Xyleborus dispar), which are still unknown to the 

 great majority of Apple cultivators. 



Psylla mali is a relative of the Aphides, and a sucking insect. 

 It is jVin. long, and variable as to colour, at one time red, at 

 another green, striped or dotted 

 with yellow, brown, or brownish- 

 red, with a yellow abdomen. The 

 insects are active on the wing, 

 and are able, moreover, to leap. 

 They are found in April, and the 

 larvae are wingless, and it is not 

 until they are ready to assume 

 the pupal state that the rudimentary 

 wings are noticed (Fig. 642). These 

 insects suck the young, unexpanded 

 buds, causing them to decay ; while 

 the foliage in bad attacks assumes 

 an unnatural yellow colour. Kero 

 sene emulsion sprayed on when 

 the larvas are hatched out is effec- 

 tive, repeating it in a fortnight. 



Laverna vinolentella is a black 

 moth, about ^in. in wing- 

 expanse, whose caterpillars 

 feed on Apple shoots, and 

 in certain seasons and dis- 

 tricts do an amount of 

 damage. These caterpillars 

 are pinkish, and are found 

 from September onwards 

 through spring. Infested 

 shoots die away for some 

 considerable distance, and 

 growers are frequently at 

 a loss to account for the 

 attack. If the larva is discovered, shoots showing signs of 

 drooping should be cut away and burned. 



The Small Ermine Moth (Hyponomeuta padella) is a terrible 

 scourge to Apple-trees. The caterpillars are hatched in autumn, 

 and remain in that condition through the winter. In spring they 

 live in webs (Fig. 643), and thus may be readily destroyed. The 

 " nests " should be cut out over a pail containing an insecticide, 

 held beneath to catch any insects which attempt to descend. 

 Then there is a well-marked distinctive moth known as Figure of 



ejipC . 



Fig. 642. — Apple-Sucker, showing : 1, 

 Larva (magnified 14 diameters) ; 

 2, Perfect Insect (magnified 10 

 diameters) ; 3, larva (nat. size) ; 

 and 4, Perfect Insect (nat. size). 



