m 



marked that entire trees had their foliage smeared with honeydew, 

 blackened with the sooty fungus, and eventually lost a considerable 

 proportion of their leaves. Young trees showed the work of this pest 

 more than older ones; but even in the case of those in bearing the 

 development of the fruit was severely checked. Plant-lice of this 

 species appeared about the last of May, were more abundant in June, 

 continuing through July and, in some cases at least, even to the mid- 

 dle of August. The conditions in the nursery were no better than in 

 the orchard, and a correspondent reports that this species obliged 

 him to keep a gang of 15 or 20 men and boys at work continuously 

 in the nursery with a whale oil soap solution, and some nursery men 

 found themselves almost unable to cope with the pest. The severe 

 injuries led us to experiment with whale oil soap solution — 1 pound 

 to -4 gallons — with the result that it killed all the plant-lice touched 

 without injuring the foliage to any extent. We, however, believe 

 that thoroughness is of more importance than using a strong insecti- 

 cide. 



The cherry plant-louse (Myzus cerasi Fab.) was also generall} T 

 destructive throughout the State, and in some cases inflicted very 

 serious injury. AVe have in mind certain small trees in Chautauqua 

 County which were so badly infested that nearly one-third of the 

 leaf-bearing portion of the twigs had the foliage so badly affected that 

 it curled, died, and dropped by midsummer. The injury was so great 

 that one or two trees died, probably as an indirect result of the severe 

 drain upon their vitality. The plant-louse on Norway maples (Ohai- 

 tophorus (?) ace r is) has likewise been exceedingly abundant and inju- 

 rious, affecting trees so seriously that practically all the foliage was 

 smeared with honeydew and discolored by fungus. In a few instances 

 the leaves were so badly curled and stunted that they presented onty 

 about one-quarter the usual surface, and the trees, instead of being 

 objects of beauty, were monuments of misery and an eyesore on the 

 landscape. The elm aphis (Callipterus uJmifolii Mon.) was also gen- 

 erally abundant upon American elm and occasionally exceedingly 

 injurious. The foliage of affected trees was smeared with honeydew, 

 blackened, and the borders of the leaves turned yellowish b}~ mid- 

 summer. Affected trees presented a very miserable appearance. The 

 delicate and beautiful plant-louse (Drepanosiplium acerifolii Thos.) 

 was likewise very abundant on hard and soft maple in various sec- 

 tions of the State and caused considerable dropping of the foliage. 

 The birch aphis {Callipterus betidcecolens Mon.) was abundant and 

 excessively injurious to birches, particularly the cut-leaved variety. 

 The outbreaks of various species of plant-louse were largely checked 

 by hosts of natural enemies, such as ladybugs, sja'phus, and lace- 

 winged flies. 



Diploto.ris libert'i Germ, is rarely brought to notice on account of 

 its depredations, and the complaint by John R. Crandall, of Haup- 



