30 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



It has been said that grease-banding will prevent this attack — that 

 the beetles crawl the trees and so are caught. It would be interesting to 

 hear if these weevils have been seen in any numbers on any grease-bands 

 that have been left on the trees. I have frequently tried to catch them 

 this way, but have not been fortunate enough to do so, nor can I see how 

 one may expect such results. The beetles are winged and are active fliers 

 after leaving their winter quarters. It is only when egg-laying that the 

 females become sluggish and seldom fly, not when they come from under 

 rough bark and other winter shelter. 



At present I see no means of coping with the pest except by jarring 

 the beetles off on a still day, preferably with a S.W. wind, and keeping 

 the trees clean by winter washing. 



Currant Sawfly. — Gooseberries and Currants are too often defoliated 

 by the larvae of the Sawfly, which has been more than usually plentiful 

 this year. There have been no less than four broods. 



The sawfly first appears in April, and this first brood spreads over some 

 four weeks, so that we find mature and quite small grubs at the same time ; 

 from then we get a succession of broods right through until October, as 

 we have seen this year (1905). 



As with most sawflies, we find they winter as larvae beneath the bushes, 

 and it is then probable that prong-hoeing the soil several times would do 

 some good, but there is no true panacea except complete removal of the 

 surface soil from beneath the bushes in winter. 



Probably our best plan is to handpick the bushes early in the year, 

 and so destroy the first brood ; but if this is done we must repeat the 

 operation every now and again, over at least four weeks from the time 

 we find them appearing. 



It has been suggested that killing the late brood that appears now 

 would do all that is necessary. I do not think so, for the reason that not 

 nearly all the last generation have hatched out from the ground, but 

 remain as larvae in the soil, being joined by those we see late in the 

 autumn. 



Of insecticides undoubtedly hellebore wash is best to apply for this pest. 



It would certainly pay to remove the soil in winter from beneath 

 bushes that have been badly infested and bury it, filling in the ground 

 with the fresh earth. 



Vegetal versus Mineral Insecticides. 



The great drawback to many insecticides is not only the uncertainty 

 of their action, but the actual harm they do to the trees. Paraffin and 

 petroleum are excellent insecticides, but one cannot foretell what disaster 

 may follow their use even upon wood, much less on foliage. An ordinary 

 paraffin emulsion applied in the most approved manner always has an 

 effect on foliage that is far from good. In fact, as an insecticide for 

 aphides it should be discarded entirely on vigorous foliage ; soft soap 

 alone is sufficient to kill, so that it is not necessary. 



For scale, undoubtedly mineral oils are essential. The use of crude 

 petroleum has been recommended, but we know with what disastrous 

 results in America, even on dormant wood. 



