CULTURE OF PEARS. 
187 
entering the pupae state. There appears little doubt that this is the 
identical insect mentioned by Messrs. Kirby and Spence, in their 
“ Introduction to Entomology,” Vol. 1, page 198; as the slugworm, 
which in America created so great an alarm amongst fruit growers, 
threatening the destruction of the pear, cherry, quince, and plum, 
and which is supposed to be a species of saw-fly, (Tenthredo.) Mr. 
Major supposes that there is a double brood of them in the year. 
We have just been examining our trees, but were unable to find any. 
These insects maybe destroyed by dusting lime 
over the tree, on a fine morning, when the 
leaves are dry. The slimy matter which co¬ 
vers the insects will retain sufficient lime to 
destroy them. You may afterwards wash off 
the whole with a little water, by means of air engine or syringe. 
The blossoms of our pear-trees are often rendered abortive by the 
grub of a weevil beetle, supposed by Messrs. Kirby and Spence to 
be the Polydrusus oblongus. There are also various sorts of cater¬ 
pillars, most of which infest the apple-trees, and may be treated as 
recommended in the calendars for July and August, pages 335 and 
383. There are, however, two caterpillars, (2 and 3) which seem 
exclusively confined to the pear, and are seldom found till tho end of 
September, or beginning of October. They both form webs, and 
very dexterously make their escape to the ground, on the leaf being 
touched. Figure 2 has a black head and tail, its body is brown, and 
the annulations are something darker than the other parts of the body ; 
fig. 3, is considerably larger than the last, with a black head, the 
groundwork of the body being cream coloured; it has three longi¬ 
tudinal stripes of a greenish brown, extending from head to tail, with 
the annulations or rings of the same colour. They may be easily 
destroyed by a solution of lime drawn off perfectly clear, and applied 
with an engine; and in the course of a few days a good application of 
warm soap suds. There is also a kind of scale (4) prevalent upon 
the leaves in October, which may be destroyed by the same means. 
The little mining insect may also be destroyed, as stated page 335. 
Of the summer Pears for dessert, we have figured the “ Seckle” 
and the "St. Germain de Martin.” The proprietor of this last 
sort sent us a small box of the fruit, which on tasting he found to be 
very excellent, being melting, buttery, and very free from grit, with 
a flavour greatly resembling the Jargonelle. The trees bear abun¬ 
dantly, and we have no doubt the fruit will be found an excellent 
addition to our dessert pears, continuing in use much longer than 
the Jargonelle. The proprietor states, that he has but a limited 
