A NEW INSECT PEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2435, 26 October 1886, Page 2

A NEW INSECT PEST.

Mr W. R, Guilfoyle, Director W the Melbourne BotanicGurduns,has forwarded r>■ to Mr Armstrong, Curator of the Christ- - church "Domain some specimens of a new kind of niealy bun thai lias appeared on pittoßporums ill Victoria, and which, ifnot checked atones, seems likely to prove • a serious nuisance. A search lias been. . made in the vicinity .of Obristehurch, but so far without finding any traces of thonißcct, and therefore'there is reaaim hope that it has not yet been iirtroofe&d 1 hero. It ie, however, very similar to • soveral of our native coecids, Tho fol-j . lowing,.extracts fwrn Mr Guilfoyle's letter show that the matter is o:«e of treat • importance to cultivators" It will be seen ' jliat the specimen is infostcd - by h specifes of scale insect, to which . my attention was specially invited by tho Secretary of the Department - of . Agricuture. 'lt has been deß- . eribed : as tlie ' cottony cushioned scale,' a species of Dorthesia, and I may add that the, two plants being so badly . diseased,. I hud permission from the Custom's authorities to destroy them at - once, in order to prevent the pest oxtouding further. Mr K. J. Dunn, lafoflfioy. • ernujent Geologist in South Afriqwnow ■ . residing!)) Melbourne, tells me that' this t' identical sp'ocies of seale has done enor* nious damage in South Africa, completely : destroying 'many thousands of cultivated •and other plants, includiug nrangCß, liiiiions, pitfggporuina, etc. jVIr Dunn sflirniß it to be more injurious to plant!, than any other pest known, Ho furthor ••. adds—and 1 agree with him—that if it;." once.becomes established in the coloaies,. . nothing'will stay its pragma •orchards shrubberies, etc. Undnr these' . -.1 circumstances I hasten to give ynu guchi £•;. ' information as I havo, with tho hope that. «>; you wilj.do all iu your power to destrnjv by fire,a.iiy trees that may be infested iui your public or private gardens."—Lyttle- • top Tiiueß.

A woman in Pittsbur' made a toiribfe inißtako the other day (says an English journal), She became i(reatly frightened!' when a terrtble storm broke over the town, and ran'up to her bed-chambur for - a vane of holy water with which to. sprinklo herself. In tho uxeitomimt of' the moment she seized ;v bottle tilled with; sulphuric acid, and dashed the contents, in her faco and over her bead, }Tlmt physicians who attended iter say tMfrihui will in all probability loose har and that hor faco may be disfigured. The acid had eaten into' lier flesh before its' course was stayed. A good story is told of tho late Mr' Baird, of Gartsherrie, Scotland, who gav« the princely donation of £250,000 to th» . Church of Scotliiad. The first tiine after the gift that the donor mot his old friend, James Merry, Jamie is reported to hitfl Baid: " You religious sinner, : I seo yoa : j hao loft a lot o' siller to the kirk. Noo, I'll wa«er. you a hundred pounds that you - canna. even say the Lord's prayer." ■. "Done,"replied,the rauniticeut ({iver, and thu moiiey waß tabled. ; ; Mr Baird sat eci'atuhing his head a little, -so Jamie, ■ said Come, awa," : ",Qi'e.':me time, tae think for a moment," In a fewminutcif Mr Baird' started ;oft f : with & triumphant chuckle: "The my Shepherd, I'll not want." There's the ■ siller," said Jamie, "I didna think you. could.say't !" "• •• ..'l;, _ Acijpiints' are given in Gerraan-iechnical. journals of some .interesting experiments . which have been niade, and it would 'jppoar witli auccesfi; in thu paper in'|iano construction.' The .made entirely,# paper, as wood, tho ihate'rialboing so !'oo|j^p.; ■ as to bj. susceptible of thejfoigh 'poM t which is required fur such instruments.. .=■ As described, th« Qolor is a creamy white; : . the tone, is reported to' bo 1 characterised I by.sweetnws. rathvr tjun 1 , sound emitted, unlike feksui :■ note o(an and. slightly contin'#uq, ; • • .Berabljng tfot ofiheMrgan: - fioatioji'of tono,"whicsi '• an atfcwctive att^tlftMM'' 1 arenness of textmp paper,