1907.] Orchard and Bush Fruit Pests. 



;ii 



attributed to a Botrytis fungus, but the real cause was the larvae 

 of one of the Cecid flies, small orange maggots which have 

 been found in abundance in all the shoots and bushes sent, the 

 Botrytis being secondary and only occurring now and again on 

 the dead shoots killed by the orange Cecid maggots. The life- 

 cycle of the insect is now under observation, with a hope of its 

 future identification. A similar enemy occurs in gooseberries in 

 America, but the larvse attack the berries in summer, and as 

 this has not been observed here, we have probably a quite new 

 insect attack. 



Beetles. — Amongst beetles the raspberry beetle {B) turns 

 ioinentosiis) was again very plentiful in plantations in Kent 

 and Worcestershire. It has already commenced to attack the 

 loganberries. The raspberry weevil {OtiorhyncJuis picipes) 

 caused some annoyance in Somersetshire, and the apple 

 blossom weevil {Anthonomus povioniin) was complained of 

 in Worcestershire. In Kent it did not seem to be as bad as 

 usual. Ground beetles {Harpalus rnficornis^ were reported as 

 damaging strawberries in Worcestershire and Surrey, and the 

 same beetle has occurred in large numbers in raspberry 

 plantations in Scotland. From the Cheddar district Otiorhyn- 

 c/ius picipes has been reported damaging loganberries. A new 

 strawberry pest has made its appearance in Kent, namely, 

 AnthonofHUs rubi, which lays its eggs in the unopened straw- 

 berry blossoms and then cuts them off. An account of the life- 

 history of this beetle, which feeds on bramble and dog rose, 

 and is sometimes found on raspberries, has been worked out by 

 Mr. Fenoulhet, of the South-Eastern Agricultural College. 



Woolly Aphis. — One of the most serious apple pests is the 

 woolly aphis {Sckisoneitra lanigera). It has been complained of 

 more than ever during the past year from all parts of Britain, 

 and appears at present to be much on the increase. 



Several cases have come to my knowledge of diseased stock 

 being sent out by nurserymen. This has not been from neglect, 

 but simply from the fact that it is not generally known or 

 recognized as a pest of the roots of apple trees. Great care 

 is taken in nurseries to keep it down above ground, but this 

 is mere waste of time as long as the under-ground form is 

 allowed to live, as it can and does migrate from roots to trunk 



