REPORTS OF AUXILIARY SOCIETIES. 269 



Mr. H. G. Buck began discussion of the rose bug. He said they appear in 

 June and July; eat most ravenously, seeming to relish rose leaves, grape leaves, 

 and even cherry leaves. After this wedding feast is over, the females lay their 

 eggs in the ground. The grubs feed on the roots of plants, but are not 

 sufficiently destructive to attract attention. The pupse may be found in May, 

 and in June the beetles come forth again to their work of plunder. As this 

 beetle will, like the curculio and blister beetles, fall from tbe plants whenever 

 disturbed, they may be shaken on to sheets placed under the vines, and 

 destroyed, but their great numbers had, in his experience, rendered any plan 

 for their destruction of no avail. They "struck his place" about five years 

 ago, and as a result he had rooted out nearly all of his 300 fine grapevines. 

 They appeared in myriads from the 8th to the 12th of June, eating the blossom 

 and young fruit of all the grapes, as well as the leaves of the Clinton. They 

 also ate the leaves of the small, sweet, light-colored cherry. They swarmed 

 like the potato bug, and act and look like it, except that they are smaller. 

 They work on peaches, and he had found as many as fifty in one hole they had 

 eaten out of a peach. They eat only the best yellow peaches, but so far they 

 had not done serious damage to that fruit. They also eat blackberry and 

 black-cap raspberry leaves, will eat into such apples as the Snow, Rubicon, and 

 Wagener ; he has known them to thrive in large numbers on clover, and they 

 seem to prefer light soils. He considered them great pests, although their 

 stay is short, coming about the 10th of June and going in July. He had tried 

 dusting with white hellebore without effect; thought Paris green would kill 

 them ; should try it on peaches this year if they gave trouble, but it was 

 difficult to apply such remedies to the grape and perhaps dangerous. 



June Meeting. 



Discussion was also had upon fruit packages — prices and sizes deemed best — 

 and upon thinning peaches ; but nothing particularly new was developed. 



This meeting was held at the residence of Mr. G. T. Lay, in Monterey 

 township, where the society was most agreeably entertained by the host and 

 hostess. Owing to the cloudy appearance of the morning, the attendance in 

 the forenoon was small, and the meeting was not called to order; but after 

 partaking of a sumptuous dinner, proceedings began, Mr. H. G. Buck taking 

 the chair. On account of the absence of the secretary, L. A. Lilly was ap- 

 pointed to take the minutes. 



The first subject for discussion was "The best strawberry for family use and 

 how to raise it," which was opened by Mr. Lilly, who had on exhibition speci- 

 mens of the Wilson, Crescent Seedling, Chas. Downing, Kentucky, Monarch 

 of the West, Col. Cheney, Seneca Chief, and Seth Boyden. Mr. Lilly said the 

 Wilson is too familiar to need any description. It is the berry generally grown 

 for market, but for family use it should be allowed to stay on the vine until 

 fully ripe. The Crescent is a scarlet berry, beginning to ripen a few days be- 

 fore the Wilson, and is a large bearer. It lacks a little of being first quality, 

 and is rather soft. The Chas. Downing is a berry of the first quality, but does 

 not hold its size well and is only a moderate bearer. The Kentucky is a late 

 berry, and is used to continue the season. Monarch of the Wesb attracted a 

 great deal of attention on account of its large size and excellent quality. It is 

 riot prolific and needs good care, but will repay the amateur for his trouble. 

 The Col. Cheney, Seneca Chief, and Seth Boyden are berries of good quality 

 for the table, but are not large bearers. The strawberry can be raised on almost 

 any kind of land, but seems to flourish best on a sandy loam that has been well 



