7i8 



Orchard and Bush Fruit Pests. [march, 



So far the Boskoop giant resists the mite owing to its strong 

 growth, but it is by no means immune. 



There does not seem to be much of this pest in Hampshire, 

 and in parts of Worcestershire and Herefordshire, and also in 

 Kent, I saw many clean patches in 1906. 



An interesting attack of this mite has been found in Kent, 

 the acari invading red currants, producing great masses of dis- 

 torted buds and a thick swollen appearance of the whole shoot. 

 Another grower wrote saying his red and white varieties had 

 been attacked in Thanct. 



From Newcastle some buds were sent which were being eaten 

 out by the caterpillars of the tortrix moth {Tortrix podana^ 

 Scop.\ and from Greenhithe a plantation was found to have the 

 majority of the buds tenanted by a small miiscid larva that was 

 devouring the mites. Cob nuts were also attacked more than 

 usual in 1906 by Eriophyes avellanae in Kent, and were also 

 seen badly infected in Sussex. This mite is increasing in nut 

 plantations, and is commencing to do some harm. 



Red Spider. — Red spider (^Bryobia pretiosd) has been present 

 in most districts on gooseberries, but not generally in any 

 quantity, and in two cases apple trees have been infested 

 with an allied species. 



Strazuberry Eehvorm. — Quite a serious attack on strawberries 

 has been made by the eelworm {Aphelenchus fragariae^ Ritzema 

 Bos). Originally it was recorded by Miss Ormerod from St. 

 Paul's Cray, in Kent, where it has occurred again during the 

 past year. In addition, specimens and complaints have been 

 received from other parts of the county, and from Worcester- 

 shire, &c. Great damage has been done to strawberry plants 

 during the past year in various parts of the country by these 

 worm parasites, but in many samples sent for report disease 

 was due to some other cause than animal injury, and could not 

 be discovered at the time. The curious cauliflower-like growth 

 produced in attacked strawberry plants at once places the cause 

 of the eelworm disease beyond doubt, but the eelworms are 

 found in plants which show no signs of their attack when 

 present in small numbers. 



Shigs Attacking Gcose'serries. — Near Ledbury serious damage 

 to the blossom and young fruitlets of the gooseberry was 



