ENTOMOLOGICAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1957, 27 August 1891, Page 8

ENTOMOLOGICAL.

Practical Economic Entomology*

Mr O. French, F.L.S., F.R.H.S., entomologist to the Victorian Department of Agriculture, has just brought out a work upon praotioal eoonomio entomology, highly valuable to the working agriculturist and orchardist. It deals with ordinary insect plants, and contains, as Mr Frenoh Bays in the preface, no more technicality than is necessary to ensure correctness. The work ia called "A Handbook of the Destructive Insects of Victoria, with Notes on the Methods to be Adopted to Oheok and Extirpate Them.'' It contains 190 pages in all, and is illustrated by 14 engravings of spray machines, fumigating tents, &c, and 14 beautiful coloured plateß of the several inseots. dealt with and the manner of their attaok. To this is added a very simple introduction to entomology, and the whole formß one of the most complete and useful little books ever written on such subjeotß. Ofj.the present volume (Part I) 9000 copies have been printed, and the inseota described therein are those attacking the apple, pear, apricot, and cherry. Part II will be issued shortly, and practical farmers and fruit-growers would do well to apply to the Government Printing Office, Melbourne, for copies, as many of the inseota are identical with the peßts of New Zealand, The writer, however, ia not as yet informed either of the cost of the book or whether it is on sale or only for private distribution to friends of the Government.

Woodpeckers and the Codlin Moth.

It has been stated on very good authority that woodpeokers pick the oodlin moth laryaa out of the apple without destroying the fruit ; but this is not the only time they feed npon them. These birds have a peculiar manner of running up the bark of a tree and picking up insects in that position, and they have often been seen picking out the larvea and pap* of the pest when it has been ensoonoed under the flakes of tbe bark, and there can be no doubt that an importation of these birds would be a most valuable acquisition and a boon to our apple-growers! and apple-consumers, as there are now in many parts of the colony enormous quantities of this valuable fruit lost by the moth attaok.

Icerya at the Cape of Good Hope.

A very interesting experiment was tried some time ago of sending a shipment of the little ladybird beetle (Vedalia cardinalis) to the Cape of Good Hope. These little beetles were firstjsent from Napier, in New Zealand, to California to aot against the countless millions of icerya or cottony scales that were ruining the fruit-growers of that State, and lately the American Government caused 1000 of them to be sent to Cape Colony, where the pest is doing muoh harm. A letter reoeived from the Hon Mr Fisher (Secretary of Agrioultnrt, Cape Town) announces that every specimen sent was dead when the shipment arrived, and great disappointment has resulted from this failure. The Government of New Zealand it, however, willing to supply these useful little inseots, and as they have lately been introduced, into three districts where the pest abounds, it ia ,'probable they will ere long be able to do bo.

Icerya at Nelson.

The | beetles lately introduced by Mr Wight, of Auckland, are already doing muoh to rid the district of the destructive pest (ioerya) whioh has so long been an affliction to the friut-growers, and at a recent meeting a very handsome presentation of thanks was passed to that gentleman, accompanied with a more substantial reward in the shape of a cheque. This is one of the benefits of fruit-growers' associations having a consulting entomologist.

Apples for Export to England.

The New South Wales Government have published a detailed list and some valuable information upon the best varieties of apples to grow for exporting to England, and the trade is looked forward to as likely to be of great, value to these colonies, in which New Zealand (especially the Middle Island) is probably dec tined to take a prominent part. The interesting particulars are too long for insertion here, but the list may be useful. It comprises:— Adams' Fermain, Red Baldwin, Golden Reinette, Bedfordshire Foundling, Blenheim Orange, Reinette] dv Canada, Triomphe da Luxemburg, Winter Pearmain, Fine Grown Pippin, Ward's Seedling, Red Warrior, Mere do Menage, Kentish Pippin, Boßton Russet, Olaygate Pearmain, Gloria Mundi, Newtown Pippin, Stone ■ Pippin, Red Streak, Royal Russet, and Striped Beefing. These apples are certainly not what most of our New Zealand growers would recommend, but there are many that could be picked from the list with advantage, and a few might be added, suoh as Soarlet Pearmain, Prothers Late, Thockley, and some of those that come in a little earlier. It must ba retnbered that the American apple blight aphis has to be more oloaely watched here than in most districts of New South Wales, and varieties much subject to its attack should ba rejected from the list. Entomologist,