1907.] Orchard and Bush Fruit Pest5. 



715 



Gooseberry Aphis. — A species of aphis at present unidentified, 

 was reported from several areas in all the fruit districts. It is 

 somewhat important otherwise than as a direct enemy, for the 

 curious deformity produced on young wood by it, has, it seems, 

 been taken by incompetent observers to be the work of the 

 fungus known as the American gooseberry mildew. 



Strawberry Aphides. — Some complaints have also been re- 

 ceived of strawberry aphides. The wild aphis {Siphonophora 

 fragariella, Theo.) has been found in Kent and in Huntingdon- 

 shire as well as in Herefordshire, and the Aphis fragariae, Koch, 

 has been recorded in hot-house plants from Devon, Dorset, and 

 Surrey. 



Apple Sucker. — One of the worst apple pests during the past 

 year has been the apple sucker {Psy/Ia inali). This insect has 

 undoubtedly increased very rapidly in recent years. It has 

 been sent from practically all apple-growing areas in England, 

 but is most harmful in Worcestershire and in Surrey, then in 

 Herefordshire and Kent. In the first named county quite 70 per 

 cent, of the blossom trusses must have been killed by the suckers 

 last year. In one large orchard near Godalming, in Surrey, the 

 whole blossom had been destroyed. In Devonshire I found 

 it here and there in the north, but it did not seem to have done 

 any great harm. It was also at work in Monmouthshire, Somer- 

 setshire, and Gloucestershire during the past summer. This 

 insect can be kept down by spraying with soft soap and quassia 

 at the time they are hatching from the eggs, in spring, but two or 

 three applications are necessary, as it is not always the case that 

 the ova hatch simultaneously. They appear to hatch at 

 different times on the different varieties, and hence the difficulty 

 of spraying satisfactorily. 



A series of experiments is being conducted by the Worcester- 

 shire County Council, under Mr. Furley, to endeavour to find 

 some winter wash that will destroy the eggs. So far we know of 

 nothing that will destroy them, and it is extremely doubtful if 

 anything will be found which will not at the same time harm 

 the shoots. One grower, however, informs me that last year he 

 stopped the sucker by spraying with lime and salt just about 

 the time the buds were swelling, and by spraying continuously 

 until they were bursting. The wash seems to act mechanically 



