Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-07-02

scale assumes the regular oyster-shell
| shape. Upon removing the scale the IN
sect will be found securely fastened to the
tree by a slight wnitish fringe, and occu-
pies only half the space within.
The time taken for this process is usual
" about two months, and, if the scales are
then lifted, the insect will be discovered
in the act of laying its eggs. During the
progress the parent louise shrlnks away,
| until, when all the eggs are deposited, she
can scarcely be distinguished at all AS
many as 100 eggs are often found under
one scale. Since only one brood is pro-
duced annually, the eggs remain under
the scale from the time of deposition I'M
til the following June, exposed 10 the
warmth of the fall months as well as the
continual freezing and thawing OF winter,
and yet their vitality is unimpalred.
The question has often arisen, How can
this insect spread from place to place and
from tree to tree since the female bark
louise is only capable OF motion for the
first three or four days, and Tor the rest OF
her life is firmly fixed to the tree?
One very plausible way is by the trans
porting of young trees from one place to
another, the scales being already upon
the tree. Another is, since the insects
themselves are very light they are often
borne from place to place by the winds
| during the few days they are capable of
travelling. Often, in large orchard, the
branches overlap each other and the in
sects migrate from one tree to another.
Though belonging naturally to the apple
tree it is often found upon the pear, cur
rant and plum.
The damage done by one of these
small insects by the absorption of sap can
| not be perceived upon the hard bark of
| the tree; but when found on the soft bark
and when the entire trunk and limbs of
small trees are covered the general dam
| age Is very great-often killing the tree
entirely in three Or four years.
There are some natural enemies which
| prove very destructive to this insect. A
small maggot is sometimes found under
| the scale the larvae of some Hymenopti-
| nous insect, which destroys the eggs of the
| louise. A small mite has also been found
destroying the insect himself as well as
| the eggs, and has proven so efficient in
some orchards as to entirely eXterminate
| the bark-louse.
. One of the lady-birds (Chilocorus bivul-
nerus, Muls) has proven itself very use
full in destroying both kinds of bark
| louise, and is equally voraciOus in the
laryal form.
A good way to exterminate the bark
louise is by placing several Of these insects
upon the infested tree. 1t is easily recog-
nized by its polished black color and the
blood-red spot on each wing case. When
planting out an orchard, it is very i'm
portant that the young trees be carefully
searched, and, if any of the scales are
| found, they can be removed by scraping
the bark. Since the eggs are SO well pro
tected, all alkaline washes are of no avail
as they do not penetrate, and those of al
oily nature are apt to injure the tree
Hence, the only time the bark-louse car
be successfully fought is during the few
days they are crawling over the limbs
and then the danger is that the washes
used will destroy the foliage and fruit.
AS they adhere only to the more tende
limbs Of the tree, they can only be effectu
ally reached by the use of a syringe O.
spraying instrument. Chrysalic-acid soal
is also strongly recommended. 1t will b.
necessary, however, to repeat the wash, a
the lice do not all hatch at once, though
the time seldom extends over three days
-Ch5cn0O Tribune. .Jatle 81.