EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 157 



to fifty, the commercial brands caused considerable injury to the foliage 

 and even though the leaves were not actually burned, they seemed to 

 be of a smaller size and less healthy in appearance than those on un- 

 sprayed vines; on the other hand, where Bordeaux mixture was used, 

 the leaves were large, and possessed a dark green, healthy appearance 

 that was not found on unsprayed grapes. 



In some years considerable injury has been done by the rose-chafer, 

 grape berry-moth and the steel-beetle. The rose-chafer, or rose bug as 

 it is commonly called, often appears in immense numbers when the 

 grapes are in blossom and by feeding upon the flowers and young fruit 

 may seriously injure the crop, in some cases entirely destroying it. 

 Attempts have been made to control them by collecting in pans in kero- 

 sene but this proves very expensive and is not feasible where one has a 

 large area of grapes. Spraying the vines also was tried but, when Paris 

 green was used in water or Bordeaux mixture, although it may have 

 killed many of the beetles, it did not suffice to save the crop as, before 

 eating enough of the poison to be fatal, a large number of blossoms would 

 be destroyed. It was observed, however, that the beetles were very fond 

 of sweetened water, and experiments during the last two or three years 

 have shoAvn that, by using three to five pounds of arsenate of lead in 

 fifty gallons of water, to which a quart of cheap molasses had been added, 

 it would destroy the beetles and they would be prevented from causing 

 serious injury to the grapes as, if the application was made when they 

 appeared in numbers, the rose-chafers would leave the flowers and feed 

 upon the poisoned water. 



The grape berry-moth caused considerable injury in 1907, but a large 

 number of growers found that they could control the insect by spraying 

 with arsenate of lead just before the blossoms opened and again when the 

 fruit had set. As these applications can ba made in connection with the 

 use of Bordeaux mixture for the control of the black-rot, the only extra 

 expense will be the cost of the arsenate of lead, and, as two pounds will 

 sufiice for fifty gallons, it will not be more than fifty cents per acre for 

 the two applications. 



The steel-beetle sometimes appears in large numbers as the buds are 

 swelling and by eating out the center of the buds prevents the growth 

 of new shoots. Aft^r the leaves have developed, the larvae appear and 

 feed on the green tissues. If the perfect insects are present in large 

 numbers it will be well to spray the dormant vines with arsenate of lead 

 adding perhaps an equal amount (two pounds) of copper sulphate as a 

 fungicide. The regular sprayings with arsenate of lead will prevent any 

 injury by the larvae and, in fact, if this has attention there are not 

 likely to be many beetles the following spring. 



I am glad to be able to report that, as a direct result of the cooperative 

 experiments carried on at LaAvton and Paw Paw, there has been a very 

 marked increase in the amount of spraying done and in the general in- 

 terest taken in the grape crop. In 1908, fully two hundred power out- 

 fits were used in the LaAvton district and in most cases the work was 

 very thoroughly done. Had there been an equal amount of spraying in 

 1906 and 1907, the increase in the value of the grape crop that would 

 have resulted would hare amounted to scA^eral hundred thousand dollars. 



