58 



the western peninsula of Ontario, but I have never met with it north of the lake or east of 



Toronto. The beetle can be 



at once recognized by the two 



•creamy-white stripes running 



the whole length of its brown 



body, while the grub (Fig. 3 la), 



may be distinguished from 



the other species by its round, 



chestnut-brown and shiny 



head and thick body. For a 



full description of the insect 



and its habits, the reader is 



referred to Saunders' "Insects 



Injurious to Fruits." The 



remedies to be employed in warding off the attacks, or destroying this insect, are the same 



as those given above for the flat-headed borer; it should be noticed, however, that 



the work of this creature is almost entirely confined to the base of the tree, near the 



ground, and therefore it can be more easily detected and dealt with. A sure indication 



of its presence is afforded by the castings which, when first discharged, "look as if they 



had been forced through barrels of a minute double-barreled gun, being arranged closely 



together in two parallel strings." "When observed, a sure remedy may be found in 



cutting out with a knife, or probing the burrow with a wire. 



Apple-root Plant-louse. 



This insect (Schizoneura lanigera, Hausm.) has two forms,in one of which.it attacks 

 the branches of the apple tree; in the other it works under ground upon the roots. 



In the former character it seldom does much 

 damage, but, if troublesome, it can be got rid 

 of by the vigorous use of a stiff brush wet with 

 one of the solutions referred to for use against 

 borers. It may be at once recognized by its 

 habit of living in clusters covered with woolly 

 down. 



The underground form is represented in 

 the accompanying wood-cut, fig. 4; a repre- 

 sents a root covered with knots caused by this 

 insect; b a wingless louse, shewing the blueish- 

 white cottony substance with which it is 

 covered, and c a winged specimen. It attacks 

 the tender roots, sucking their juices, and weakening, oftentimes seriously, the life of the 

 tree. When an apple tree is found to be sickly without any evident cause, the presence 

 of this insect may be suspected. The tree should then be dug about, and the earth 

 removed from the roots in order to see whether they are knotted as in the figure, which 

 would indicate the work of the louse. 



The simplest remedy, when the roots are uncovered and the lice are brought to view, 

 is to scald them with hot water, nearly boiling, or to drench them with strong soap-suds. 

 For the use of coal oil against this and other underground pests, such as the grape 

 Phylloxera, etc., a plan has been devised by Dr. Barnard, of Washington, D. C, that 

 seems to be effective. The great difficulty hitherto in the use of coal oil for root insects 

 has been its application on, or just beneath, the surface of the ground, and close to or 

 above the roots ; when applied in this way its contact with the roots themselves and their 

 consequent destruction can hardly be avoided. Dr. Barnard employs what he calls a 

 " nether inserter," which is thus described (Psyche, vol. iv, p. 134) : " It consists of a tube 

 which is made to fit closely around a central solid shaft somewhat longer than the tube 

 and pointed at its lower end. The tube may have an internal diameter of 15 mm. (about 

 half an inch) and the shaft a diameter of 12 mm. The upper end of the tube expands 

 like a bowl. The upper portion of the shaft is weighted with a heavy ball so disposed 



