24:6 Agkioultueal Expeeiment Station, Ithaoa, N. Y. 



but a few minutes to look over a bush and clip off the tips of the shoots 

 containing the eggs. Burn these tips (the eggs would doubtless hatch 

 in the spring were they left on the ground) and the pest will be effectu- 

 ally checked. Even if the tips of all of the new growth be clipped, the 

 the bush would not suffer more seriously than it would from the pest 

 if present in considerable numbers. On small areas, or with choice 

 plants spend a little more time and cut only those tips containing eggs. 

 The eggs remain in these tips nine months, thus making it practicable 

 to do the pruning during the winter months ^i hen other work is not so 

 pressing. The leaves mil then also be off and the egg scars can be 

 more easily seen. If currants, gooseberries, or other shrubs have been 

 attacked by this pest, anyone can, by examining the tips of this year's 

 growth for the eggs, at once determine whether to expect it next year 

 or not. 



This method of combating the pest is, of course, only applicable to 

 the shrubs, as the eggs will not be found in herbaceous plants. But we 

 believe that this pruning and burning of the tips of the new shoots of 

 currants, gooseberries, and other shrubs attacked by the insect will 

 prove one of the most practicable, and certainly very efficient, method 

 of preventing the ravages of this Four-lined Leaf -bug. 



4. The " jarring " method for destroying the nymphs or adults.=- On 

 small areas, where choice bushes are attacked, or when the pest appears 

 on ornamental herbaceous plants, the safest, most practicable and effi- 

 cient way to combat it will be by this method. This can best be done 

 by jarring or knocking the insects into a pan or dish of some kind 

 partially filled with water and kerosene. The bug in all of its stages 

 drops quickly when the bush is jarred. This may seem a rather primi- 

 tive method but many an acre of potatoes used to be and many garden 

 patches now are saved in this way from the greediness of the Potato 

 Beetle. It will be easier to catch the nymphs of the Four-lined Leaf- 

 bug than the adults in this way, as the latter are more timid, djrop 

 quicker, and are apt to fly. Therefore, as many of the nymphs as pos- 

 sible should be destroyed in May and early June. 



Nearly all writers on this pest have advised this jarring method for 

 preventing ravages, but always with the proviso that it be done in the 

 cool of early morning while the bugs are comparatively inactive or 

 torpid. Our experience on this point has been given in detail in the 

 discussion of the habits of the insect. A single excursion into the field 

 on a cool June morning convinced us that it is not necessary for one to 

 lie awake nights that they may be on hand early enough in the morn- 

 ing to catch this bug asleep. We have seen practically very little dif- 



