596 The Black Currant Gall-Mite. [jan.„ 



been doubled in one case and increased four-fold in the other. 

 There appears, therefore, to be no prospect of checking an 

 attack in this manner." 



Further and similar experiments are recorded by the late 

 Miss Ormerod,* which were carried out by Mr. C. D. Wise,, 

 manager of the Tbddington Fruit Grounds, Winchcombe^ 

 Gloucestershire. She writes : — " Where we have picked the 

 gall-mites off last autumn the attack seems to be quite as bad 

 this spring." 



Finally, Mr. Newsteadf states that hand-picking has met 

 with a fair amount of success in small isolated plots, which agrees 

 with my own experience. 



Pruning and cutting down the bushes has proved ineffectual 

 as has also planting red and black currants in alternate rows. 



Cutting down bushes and steeping the roots in dilute methy- 

 lated spirits has tended to reduce the number of mites, but has 

 not proved of permanent value. 



Conclusion. — After the experiments which have been made,. 

 I feel convinced that the application of lime and sulphur will 

 keep this mite in check, and if the dusting or spraying is con- 

 tinued will eventually entirely eradicate the pest. 



Various statements have appeared in a section of the horti- 

 cultural and agricultural press stating that there is no likeli- 

 hood of a cure, or even of means whereby the mite can be kept 

 in check, and further that its life-history is very imperfectly 

 understood. I would warn all fruit-growers against such mis- 

 leading statements. The life-history is now practically fully 

 known, and the experiments which I have conducted, and 

 which have now extended over eight years, have yielded re- 

 sults,, checked by many large fruit-growers, which clearly point 

 to the fact that the application of lime and sulphur offers an 

 effective remedy. 



Walter E. Collinge. 



* Report of Observations of Injurious Insects during the year 1897, p. 150. 

 t 0^. cit., p. 10. 



