Woollji  Aphis;  Black-Currant  Gall  Mite.  65 
three  gallons  of  paraffin  to  4 lb.  of  soft-soap,  churned  up  well 
together,  and  twenty-five  gallons  of  water,  applied  with  a 
brush.  Infested  trees  should  be  sprayed  all  over  with  a mix- 
ture of  5 lb.  to  6 lb.  of  soft-soap  and  five  gallons  of  paraffin 
to  100  gallons  of  water*  In  mixing  this  wash  the  soap  should 
be  dissolved  in  hot  water,  the  paraffin  added  while  the  water 
is  hot,  and  the  whole  churned  together  by  a hand  pump  or 
syringe.  Cold  water  should  then  be  added. 
The  wounds  and  scars  so  infested  may  be  treated  with  hot  lime 
wash  having  powdered  sulphur  in  it,  worked  well  in  with  a brush. 
Black-Currant  Gall  Mite  {Eriophyes  ribis). — Description 
has  been  given  above  of  the  chief  enemies  of  fruit  growers. 
There  are  many  others,  but  none  whose  attacks  are  so  serious, 
except  that  of  the  Gall 
Mite  of  the  black 
currant  which  bids 
fair  to  stop  the  culti- 
vation of  this  valuable 
fruit,  unless  a remedy 
against  it  is  discovered. 
This  mite  gets  into 
the  buds  and  lives 
upon  their  contents, 
causing  them  to  swell, 
so  that  the  disease 
is  often  called  “ Bin'-  Portion  ot  bud,  with  mites  crawling  and 
-n  1 55  1-k-  I • («•  standing  erect.  B,  Erect  mite  more  highly  magnified. 
Bud.  ricking  oft 
the  swollen  buds  has  been  tried,  also  cutting  down  the  bushes 
periodically,  and  spraying  with  various  washes,  but  all  to  no 
purpose,  and  the  mite  multiplies  exceedingly  in  spite  of  all 
endeavours.  Entomologists  and  practical  men  have  devoted 
much  thought  and  time  to  the  study  of  this  pest,  and  its  life- 
history  has  been  investigated  and  described  by  Mr.  Cecil 
Warburton,  Zoologist  to  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society.^  A 
new  variety  of  black  currant,  known  as  “Boskoop  Giant,”  has 
been  introduced  from  Holland,  which,  it  is  said,  is  not  liable 
to  be  attacked.  This  has  yet  to  be  proved.  Without  any  doubt 
the  spread  of  the  mite  is  due  to  carelessness  in  distributing- 
cuttings  from  infested  plantations.  The  greatest  possible  care 
should  therefore  be  taken  to  get  cuttings  or  young  bushes  from 
plantations  free  from  infestation.  Intending  purchasers  of  black 
> Journal  K.A.S.E.,  Vol.  62,  1901,  pp.  2.57-266;  Vol.  63,  1902,  pp.  131, 
133,  304,  305;  Vol.  64,  1903,  pp.  310,  311. 
VOL.  65. 
F 
