9 



secretion disappears after a few days, and leaves the creature covered with a pale brown 

 scale; in about a week's time a fresh secretion arises from the posterior end, and assumes 

 an oval form, giving the creature the form represented in Pig. 7-4,* After another ten 

 days or a fortnight another plate is secreted, larger than the two others together ; and at 

 the end of July or beginning of August, its whole growth appears to be completed ; and 

 on lifting up the scale, thus formed in three successive portions, but now united into one 

 (Fig. 7-7), the louse may be seen snugly ensconced and protected from the world without, 

 Here in due time it lays its eggs, and finally dies ; leaving the seed of another generation 

 to take its place. We have thus far been describing the female insect, but we have no 

 description to give of the male for the simple reason that no male has as yet been ever 

 discovered. Judging from analogy, he is probably furnished with wings, but his inter- 

 vention, as in the case of the Aphides, is perhaps not required for many successive gener- 

 ations, if, indeed, the whole race be not hermaphrodite, that is, consisting of but one sex 

 which unites the functions of both. 



Such being the history of this insect, it is plain, and it has been proved by experi- 

 ment, that the only time to successfully apply remedies for it is during the short period 

 that intervenes between the emergence of the young insect and the formation of its new 

 scale. It can then be destroyed by rubbing the affected branches with a stiff brush, or 

 by washing them with a strong solution of soap ; but these remedies are of but little use 

 except at that particular time, namely, early in June, as it is difficult to make a solution 

 penetrate the scale, and so destroy the creature beneath. Much, however, can be done 

 by scraping off the scales from the limbs of the trees in spring, or indeed, at any time of 

 the year. In setting out a new orchard great care should be exercised in the inspection 

 of the young trees ; by then getting rid of all the scales that may be found attached to a 

 tree, its future immunity from this pest, may be, as a rule, relied upon. Mr. Beadle, in 

 his Prize Essay already referred to (p. 173), states that "the best remedy for these insects 

 seems to be a sort of paint, made by boiling leaf tobacco in strong lye, until it becomes 

 an impalpable pulp, and then mixing it with cold-made soft-soap (which is ropy, not the 

 jelly-like soap), until it is about as thick as paint is usually applied ; with a paint brush 

 apply it to all parts of the tree where these Bark-lice are found, before the buda swell in 

 the spring. If this be carefully and thoroughly done, the bark- lice will be surely killed, 

 and the tree will make a thrifty growth." In the Canada Farmer for August, 1869, 

 (p. 296), Mr. J. Glover, of St. Thomas, relates how he saved two apple-trees from 

 destruction by bark-lice by dashing over them early in the winter, a quantity of lye that 

 remained after soap-making. We may quote our remarks upon his letter : — u Strong 

 alkaline solutions are always considered the best remedy for these and similar pests, but 

 a difficulty in applying them is that, when strong enough go destroy insect life, they are 

 apt to destroy vegetable life as well. By using lye, however, when there are no leaves 

 or opening buds to be injured, good appears to be effected. The reason we limit the 

 application of a solution of soap to the short period during which the bark-lice are unprotected 

 by their usual scale, is because it is so difficult to get any solution that will penetrate 

 the hard scale, and reach the eggs that are under it in winter, and the louse in sum- 

 mer." 



Although artificial remedies are thus few in number, and not very satisfactory in 

 application, nature — happily for the fruit-grower — furnishes us with much better ones, 

 that require no trouble on our part, except the performance of the negative duty of let- 

 ting them alone. One of these is a very minute mite ( Acarus ) t that devours immense 

 quantities of the eggs and young of the Bark-louse. Another consists of the many varieties 

 of Lady-birds (or Lady-bugs, as they are often improperly and unpleasantly termed), especi- 

 ally one called theTwice-wouadedLady-bird((7At£ocorws bivulnerus,M.xi\s). This useful insect 

 is of a deep, shining black color, with a blood-red spot (whence its name) on each wing-cover, 



*These figures (from Riley's 1st Rep. Miss.) are highly magnified, the hair lines at the sides show the 

 natural sizes. 1. Egg ; its natural size is scarcely the one-hundredth part of an inch. 2. Larva, as it ap- 

 pears when running over the twigs ; natural size 1-100 inch. 3. Its appearance after becoming stationary. 

 4. Appearance of the scale after the second secretion takes place. 5. Form of the louse (ventral view) after 

 losing its members. 6. Form of the louse (ventral view) when full grown and just about to deposit. 7. 

 Fully formed louse, as it appears from the under side, when raised. 8. Highly-magnified antenna of larva, 

 showing the joints. 



