1 Aprit, 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 323 
There ‘is another closely allied bird named blaumeise (Parus c@ruleus), 
which is almost equally valuable as an insect-destroyer. It has a blue head 
with yellow cheeks, yellow breast, light-blue. wings and tail. With this 
variety Mr. Dosch was familiar in Germany, and well remembered seeing the 
birds running up and down the trunks and limbs of trees and picking off the 
insects. | 
The bird observed by Commissioner Schanno in his district has been 
identified by Mr. Pfluger as the chickadee or black-headed titmouse (Parus 
atricapillus). Jtis related to the kohlmeise and blaumeise, but is not the 
same. 
While the primary object of importing the kohlmeise will be to secure a 
vigilant foe of the larvie of the codlin moth, yet they will probably prove of 
great value in destroying other insects. It is reported to feed on certain 
scale insects in Germany, and Commissioner Dosch hopes that it will acquire 
a taste for the San José scale. 
DANGER OF A SERIOUS PEST FROM CHILI. 
Mr. A. P. Harnr, Professor of the University College of California, Berkeley, 
writes as follows to the Pacific Rural Press :— 
Among the many insect pests that threaten viticulture and horticulture, I 
wish to call attention to one that has of late assumed alarming importance. 
I refer to the Root Scale of Chili, or ‘“Chilian Scale.” This new scale attacks 
the roots not only of the grape vine, but also those of a number of other 
plants. It would seem to be as dangerous as the Phylloxera on the vine or 
the Cottony Cushion Scale on fruit trees and other plants. This insect was first 
mentioned about twelve years ago as being found in Chili. Since then it has 
spread to several countries of South America, and is considered as a most 
dangerous pest. Iam indebted to my former professor, M. Valery-Mayet, 
‘Professor of Entomology at the National School of Agriculture of Montpellier, 
France, for the most complete description thus far given of it. 
The learned professor tells us that its scientific name is Margarodes vitium. 
It is a scale insect, intermediate between a Mealy Bug and a Cottony Cushion 
Scale, which lives on the roots of the plant. Its dangerous characteristics seem 
to lie in the fact that, unlike the Cottony Cushion Scale, it lives altogether 
underground, and thus defies the usual insecticides, vedalia, &c. It closely 
resembles the Cottony Cushion Scale in appearance, having the same white 
cottony covering, which defies most insecticide washes from its impermeability. 
It poisons the root in sucking the sap and speedily causes swellings, just as the 
Phylloxera does. These swellings soon develop into cancers, which destroy the 
root system, in spite of the efforts the vine makes to throw out new roots. 
Thus far no effective remedy has been noted, and foreign countries are 
endeavouring to protect themselves from it by means of strict quarantine 
against all South American plants. ; 
State Quarantine Officer Alexander Craw has been notified, and is on the 
lookout for all plants that may come in by steamer from suspected districts ; 
but he is powerless to help us against those who receive plants by mail or 
Wells-Fargo’s express. 
We have Phylloxera, and we have had about all the trouble we want with 
the Cottony Cushion Scale. Let us be on our guard against something that 
seems to be a combination of the two. 
RECORD CROP OF ONIONS. 
A vamocs field of onions in San Luis Obispo county (California) produced 
65,005 lb. onions per acre, or nearly 29 tons per acre, We stated in last 
month’s Journal that 8 tons per acre would leave a handsome profit at £6 per 
ton. Such a return as recorded would at the same price give the farmer a 
cheque for £174 per acre. Onions will, with careful cultivation, give quite as 
