A NEW PEST.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 248, 17 October 1894, Page 5

A NEW PEST.

FfvUit-growkbs, more especially those wha have'gone in for planting Japanese plums, will regret to bear that a new scourge has been discovered, and that, judging by ita ill effects upon the foliage and itu apparent enormous power of. reproduction, will require prompt and vigorous action to be taken to prevent serious loss and damage. Captain Broun, the Government entomologist, who was in Hamilton yesterday, re--ports that aY present the aphis, is confined v to practically one orchard in the vicinity of Cambridge. As far as ho could judge, tho inaocb Will prove very .destructive, that it clusters in immense,numbers. o,a both the upper and lower sides of the leaf, predonainatiag'on the lower side., It> completely destroys the foliage, and in all probability the tree would Boon die if means aronob promptly fcakenip .dis}cid,ge it. r-.Cjjiptaiu Broun describes tna insect as .being:brown, in colour, and with a hard shiny appearanco,. and censequently impervious,, .to a gjeat extent, to the ojd^arj .Qpluibiona c^m&onTy in'uiie for dealing wfth 'aphides. It would be well for those who have Japanese plum trees to., make an early inspection, and if found, Captain Broun recommends a spraying at short intervals with .the kerosene emulsion, the formula for which ho gives aa follows :—Two gallons of kerosene, 30 gallonH of,water, £lb common soap; tho soap to bo boiled ia one gallon of - water, the kerosene to be. added whilst war jn and thoroughly churned.' before mixing with tho balance of the water, which is all, the better for being heated, and should be sprayed nt.a temperate heafi to give best results, Should the peat,have made ice appearance in any other part of the district ib would be well to report the came &o Captain Broun, who, no doubt, would take an early opportunity of paying a visit of inspection.—" Waikato Times,", October 16th. , , • -