Reports of the Honorary Consulting Entomologist. 705 
As the recorded attacks of the grub do not appear to have 
extended beyond from about May 20th till the latter end of 
June, this is one of the cases in which stimulating dressings, 
such as nitrate of soda, superphosphate, or other applications 
which will keep up the growth of the leafage until the grub has 
left it, are particularly serviceable. Also care should be taken 
not to plough up a crop damaged by this grub too soon, for if 
the centres are left in the mangolds when the time for the grub 
to change comes, the plants may very probably, in the end, turn 
out little the worse for the temporary attack. 
Attack of the mangold-leaf maggot is now beginning ; and in 
this case also (when attack is set up) almost the only serviceable 
treatment appears to be the application of stimulating dressings 
suitable for encouraging an immediate hearty growth. Nitrate 
of soda seems to do best ; but guano, superphosphate, or any 
rapidly acting fertiliser, would probably act as well. Pinching 
out the blister with the maggot in it, or drawing the maggot- 
infested plants and destroying them, does good by preventing 
the second attack, which would have arisen from these maggots 
(when they left the leaves) turning to chrysalids, and thence to 
flies ; but for the time being this treatment does almost as m.uch 
harm to the leafage as the mining of the maggot. 
It would be very useful if notes were sent in whether this 
attack was prevalent on land which had been autumn, rather 
than spring cultivated. 
Attack of hop aphis is becoming very threatening. Many 
communications have been sent in, accompanied by specimens, 
which I have carefully examined microscopically, and in many 
cases figured, as far as requisite, with a view of showing in the 
autumn report the points of difference between the true " hop 
aphis," Phorodon humuli, and the true " plum aphis," the Aphis 
pruni ; and likewise the kind (whether a different species or 
only a variety) scientifically known as the Phorodon humuli, 
var. Malaheh, but which, from being found both on hops and 
damsons, may be conveniently called the hop-damson aphis. 
With regard to the origin of attack. It began on the hops 
very early this year, by means of wingless females coming up 
from the hills and depositing live young. So far as this first 
attack goes, it appears to me it might be prevented by prac- 
ticable treatment. 
In the acre of trial ground at Stoke Edith, which I am per- 
mitted the use of by the courtesy of Lady Emily Foley, the hops 
which were dressed over the surface of the ground of their bills, 
early in the season, with various applications to prevent the 
female aphides coming up, remained clean from attack until 
May 26th; whereas those in the other part of the same hop- 
