1905.] 



Insect on Pines. 



563 



as soon as the berries are seen to be swelling and the lateral is 

 safe from breakage ; then also rub off any extra laterals. 



4. When a promising bunch shows on the young growth, 

 pinch the point off the shoot at one leaf beyond the bunch at a 

 time when that leaf is the size of a shilling. 



5. Growths which push out after the first pinching (called 

 " sub-laterals ") should be treated exactly the same — nipping 

 off the end promptly above the shilling-sized leaf as often as it 

 forms. This prevents the great evil of overcrowding and leaf 

 spoliation. 



6. The six or seven large uncrowded leaves on each lateral 

 give substance and quality to the fruit and strength to the vine ; 

 a crushing mass of small leaves means trashy fruit and exhaus- 

 tion of the vine. 



7. When the young grapes are about peppercorn size, clip out 

 sufficient with narrow-pointed " grape scissors " so that those left 

 have about f in. of space between them. These must not be 

 rubbed in any way whatever. This thinning must always be 

 done before the berries touch, and no good grapes can be had 

 without it. 



8. When the leaves fall in the autumn (and the grapes are 

 cut) shorten each lateral, leaving only two buds at the base for 

 forming a "spur" on the main "rod" for affording fruit 

 another year. That is the time also for cutting boldly out 

 any excess " rods " for securing the best at the distances 

 named in (1). 



If pruning is deferred till the spring, vines suffer through 

 " bleeding." 



The Board have recently received portions of two coniferous 



trees {Abies nordinanniana and A. nobilis) which were found to 



be dying owing to their being infested by 

 Insect on Pines. / * f ^, , ... A ; 



an insect pest. Ihey were submitted to 



expert examination, and have been reported on as follows : — 



The specimens in question have been infected with CJiermes 



picece, a genus of the aphides family. It is quite probable that 



this insect on the Abies is only an emigrant generation, the 



progenitors of which came from small galls on the spruce, Picea 



Y Y 2 



