The Four-lined Leaf-Bug. 



245 



upon the choicest products of the garden throughout the early summer 

 months, and hundreds less of the augmented later brood." 



It is only necessary to again recall the fact that this pest passes the 

 winter in the egg and not as an adult, to see how fruitless would be the 

 watch for the gravid females in the spring. 



The two proposed methods of combating this pest just discussed are 

 striking instances of the necessity for more knowledge of the life-his- 

 tories of some of our insect pests if our farmers and fruit growers are 

 to be taught to intelligently and successfully fight these little foes. 



3. Pruning of the bushes to destroy the eggs. — Our discovery of the 

 eggs of this pest in slits in the stems of the shrubs they infest, suggested 

 a new method of c(<mbating the pest. All of the eggs are laid before 

 August 1, within four or five inches from the tips of the new growth, 

 and there remain unhatched until the following May. Figure 13 shows 

 a currant tip, natural size, with several white egg clusters plainly visible 



Fio. 13. — Tip of new shoot of currant, showing several white egg clusters in the stem near 



its center, natural size 



near the center of the stem. The eggs are doubtless too well protected 

 to be affected by any insecticide which might be applied, but why not 

 cut back the tips of the new shoots for six inches and burn them ? 



On bushes which have been infested this year, these egg scars can 

 soon be found, as the whitish tips of the eggs are quite conspicuous. 

 After a few have been found and their characteristics noted, it will take 



