The Four-lined Leaf-Bug. 221 



in all the neighboring gardens that year the insect had been so 

 destructive that no dahlias were to be had.* 



In 1870 a wiegelia growing at Salem, N. Y., was noticed by Dr. 

 Fitch to be so thronged with these bugs that scarcely a leaf was free 

 from the rusty yellow spots and many leaves were dead. Some time 

 before Dr. Fitch says he had met with the insect puncturing the 

 flower buds of rose, causing them to perish. He also saw them on the 

 leaves of currant, but never in sufiicient numbers to do any appreciable 

 injury. It was also known by Dr. Fitch to occur in sufficient numbers 

 to destroy a portion of the leaves of the bittersweet [Solantim 

 dulcamera) and tansy. He also records finding the insect on plantain, 

 soapwort, snap-dragon, sumach and burning-bush. Some black spots 

 occurring upon the green succulent ends of raspberry bushes were sup- 

 posed by Dr. Fitch to have been made by this pest. This injury was, 

 however, doubtless due to some other cause; for this insect has never 

 been recorded as attacking raspberry, and although there was a row 

 of raspberry bushes next to the currants upon which the insect worked 

 in the horticultural garden here the former were not attacked. 



It was not until 1881 that the pest again attracted notice in our 

 State. Then Dr. Lintner found the insect very numerous on a black 

 currant bush in his garden at Albany. Hardly a leaf on the whole 

 bush escaped injury and the more tender ones were killed. Dr. Lint- 

 ner also records a severe attack upon day-lilies in his garden about 

 this time; their foliage was entirely destroyed. The pest has been 

 observed in the same garden each year since, but not in destructive 

 numbers. 



* These facts may explain why ' ' the dahlia has ceased to be a flowering 

 plant in Western New York," as Mr. Chamberlain, of Buffalo, says in a letter 

 to the Garden and Forest for October 4, 1893. He says the plants are thrifty 

 enough, but if buds form they all blast. Sometimes the young shoots have 

 the appearance of naving been stung by insects, but often buds turn black 

 when half grown, with no appearance of insect interference. Such plants 

 naturally throw their growth into the tubers. In the reply which follows the 

 letter Messrs. Ellwanger & Barry, of Rochester, say that for several years 

 their plants have not flowered to their entire satisfaction. They attribute 

 the failure largely to continued dry weather and that growers usually allow 

 too many stems to proceed from the same, plant. They have not noticed 

 that the plant has received any serious injury from insects or from fungi. 



The evidence offered by Dr. Fitch seems conclusive that similar efi'ects are 

 produced on dahlias by the attacks of the pest. There is need, however, of 

 more observations on this point. If growers will watch their dahlias closely 

 they can soon determine whether or not this widespread loss of flowers is due 

 to the punctures of this insect. 



