64 
PARASITES. 
Dr. Riley mentions having bred a Microgaster from the apple 
leaf skeleton izer. We have also frequently obtained specimens of 
an undescribed species belonging to the genus Bracon from the 
larvse of this insect. 
REMEDIES. 
Concerning remedies, Prof. Riley (l. c.) says: “A little hand 
picking at the proper time would do much to prevent its inju¬ 
ries, and I incline to believe that it may be extirpated by dusting 
the trees with air-slaked lime.” Prof. French has added the rec¬ 
ommendation that the arsenites be used, and Prof. Forbes has 
advised, in addition to this, that the fallen leaves in the nursery 
be burned to destroy the pupae. 
Early in July, 1886, I made some experiments with Paris green 
on skeletonizer larvae infesting nursery trees. The results showed 
that spraying with Paris green in the proportion of one ounce to 
eight gallons of water, effectually destroys the larvae without in¬ 
jury to the tree; and from some partial experiments made at the 
same time, which w r ere interrupted by a heavy rain storm, I in¬ 
cline to believe that half this strength of solution would be suffi¬ 
ciently effective. 
The operation of spraying nursery stock with the arsenites or 
other insecticides is much simpler than is generally supposed. 
For stock of one year’s growth all that is necessary is to go 
through the field, lengthwise of the rows, with a wagon contain¬ 
ing a barrel of the solution, having a hand-force pump and spray 
nozzle attached, straddling about every tenth row, and spraying 
the five rows on each side. In this way a field can be gone over 
easily and rapidly and sprayed for the leaf roller, skeletonizer, and 
crumpler at comparatively little expense. I presume that for trees 
two or three years old it would be difficult to straddle the rows 
with an ordinary wagon without injuring them; but this difficulty 
may be easily avoided by omitting every eleventh row so that the 
wagon can pass through at any time. 
Special pumps on wheels, with spraying apparatus attached, are 
now manufactured for the purpose of spraying various crops with 
insecticides, and these would serve the present purpose admirably. 
