126 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



of which infest Roses — are : Pardia tripuncfata, reddish-brown, 

 with black head ; April and May. Didyopteryx bergt?ianniana, 

 yellow or yellowish-green, black head ; May — a near relative 

 of the oak defoliator, T. vij'idana. Tortrix rosana, olive-green, 

 with darker dorsal line, white spots in the tubercular region, 

 brown head ; May and June. Leptograinma variegana, pale 

 green, with darker dorsal line, head brownish ; June and 

 July. In dealing with these pests great factors are late 

 pruning, and taking care to see that all shoots, &c., are 

 collected and burnt. The late pruning is of course but 

 a preventive measure. Once the trees are attacked some- 

 thing else must be done. There is nothing better than going 

 over them each morning and squeezing between finger and 

 thumb all distorted and spun-together leaflets. Man)' growers 

 take the trouble to examine each case or set of spun-together 

 leaflets ; but this takes infinitely longer, and is no more useful 

 in the end. Sometimes when pressure comes to be exerted on 

 the leaves it will be found that they are empty. The gardener 

 must then look a little higher, as the insect, having exhausted 

 the food-supply, has sought fresh pastures — usually the shoots 

 just above will be found to harbour the creature. 



Of quite a different habit of life is the Tortrix Spiionota 

 robormia. The caterpillar of this minute moth is responsible for 

 a lot of damage to Rose-trees, as it is extremely common. 

 Seldom, however, does it get detected, and the cause of the 

 mischief is put down to something else. It is this caterpillar 

 which lives in the pith of young shoots, causing them to die 

 away in a somewhat mysterious manner. When this is the case, 

 if the dead or dying shoot be cut off in April or May, there will 

 probably be disclosed a small reddish-brown larva with a brown 

 head. All such shoots should be burnt at once, and not con- 

 signed to the rubbish-heap, as is frequently the case. 



Another very small caterpillar infesting Rose-trees is that pest 

 of the fruit-grower, the Winter Moth {C/ieimatobia hriimatd). It 

 is only about -^in. long, and very variable as to colour — green, 

 yellowish, or greenish-grey, with a darker dorsal line. The best 

 preventive measures are grease-banding, as for fruit-trees, in 

 late autumn. Sometimes, however, the wingless female manages 

 to deposit her eggs despite every precaution ; then nothing but 

 spraying with a poisonous substance is of much avail : |oz. of 

 Paris green to 2ogalls. of water, sprayed on lukewarm in April, 

 before the buds have expanded, will be of the greatest use. The 



