1908.] 



Insect, Fungus and other Pests. 



119 



Woburn wash would be of much value against aphides on 

 currants, this wash being an improvement on that given in 

 Leaflet 68 in 1904. It is composed of paraffin, 5 pints; 

 sulphate of iron, \ lb. ; caustic soda, 2\ lb. ; lime, \ lb. ; 

 water to make 10 gallons. 



The wash may be prepared as follows : — 



(a) Dissolve the sulphate of iron in about 9 gallons of 

 water ; (b) shake the lime in a little water and then add a 

 little more water to make this into a " milk " ; (c) run b into 

 a through a piece of coarse sacking to remove grit ; (d) churn 

 the paraffin into the mixture ; and (e) just before using the 

 wash add the caustic soda in the powdered condition and 

 stir thoroughly. 



The Board understand that this wash can be purchased 

 ready made up at is. 3d. per gallon. The wash may be used 

 during February and March so long as the plants are dormant 

 and cold weather prevails, 



The bushes should be kept under observation, and if any 

 eggs escape and hatch, spraying should be carried out at once 

 with paraffin emulsion before the aphides procure shelter under 

 the infested curled-up leaves. 



Specimens of apple trees infested with woolly aphis (Leaflet 

 No. 34) were received from Longhope, Glos. ; and bore swollen 

 places on the smaller branches due to irritation set up by the 

 aphides. 



Diseased Thorn. — Specimens of a diseased double pink 

 thorn were received from Midhurst. It was found that 

 swellings present on the thorn were due to the presence of a 

 fungus known as Gymno sporangium clavariae forme, J acq., 

 which is parasitic on different host-plants during different 

 periods of its development. One stage forms spindle-shaped 

 swellings on the branches of the common Juniper and allied 

 species, and during the months of April and May numerous 

 pale orange-coloured gelatinous masses ooze out of these 

 swollen places. These gelatinous masses are the spores of the 

 fungus, which are distributed by wind, insects, birds, &c, and 

 those that happen to alight on young thorn shoots give rise to 

 the swollen portions, which, in due course, produce the spores 

 of the second condition of the fungus. These spores cannot 

 again directly infect the thorn, but can infect Juniper and give 



