1908.] Insect, Fungus and other Pests. 



279 



The crickets might be destroyed (1) by choking up their 

 hiding places — cracks, crevices, and holes, &c. ; (2) by injecting 

 boiling water into the shelter places ; (3) by poisoning some 

 ground-up carrots and potatoes and leaving them at night 

 where the insects are troublesome ; (4) by taking advantage 

 of their fondness for liquids and placing here and there basins 

 containing sweetened liquids as traps. 



Fungi, &c. — Cabbage leaves injured by the parasitic fungus 

 Sphaerella brassicaecola were received from Brook (Isle of 

 Wight). It is important with this disease that all injured 

 leaves should be removed and burned, as not only will the 

 disease be prevented from further injuring the crop under 

 consideration, but by so doing the soil will not be infected, 

 as it would be if the diseased leaves were allowed to rot on 

 the ground. 



Diseased asters from South Molton (Devon) were found to 

 bear fungus mycelium, but there was no definite proof that it 

 was the primary cause of injury. The disease was a kind of 

 " damping-off " caused by crowding and superabundant 

 moisture during the seedling stage of growth. Such conditions 

 favour the attack of various destructive fungi which could 

 not exist under more normal conditions of culture. 



Apple tree canker (Leaflet No. 56) was found on apple 

 branches from Sandy ; pear scab (Leaflet No. 131) on specimens 

 from Barnstaple and from Wellington (Salop), the early con- 

 dition being indicated by the dark blotches on the leaves 

 and young fruits ; and apple tree mildew (Leaflet No. 204) 

 on specimens from Chiswick, Twickenham and Bristol. Brown 

 rot of fruit (Leaflet No. 86) was found on apple specimens from 

 Hailsham, St. Neots and Bere Alston (Devon) ; this disease 

 is, under ordinary conditions, mostly confined to the foliage 

 and fruit, but the badly ripened wood produced during the 

 last few years, owing to a continuance of growth late in the 

 season, has enabled the fungus to attack the shoots, all diseased 

 portions of which should be removed and burned. Plum tree 

 leaves were received affected with silver leaf, neither cause 

 nor cure for which is known, although it is believed that a 

 dressing of lime or xommon salt pricked into the soil is useful, 

 the salt being applied at intervals of three months. Goose- 

 berry specimens from Liverpool were attacked by the Cluster" 



