34 Bulletin 184:. 



This was taken advantage of in 1867 by one grape-grower in Mis- 

 souri who called to his aid a large brood of chickens which he had 

 raised. It is said that he " had them so well trained that all he had 

 to do was to start them in the vineyard with a boy in front to shake 

 the vines, and he himself behind the chicks. They picked up every 

 beetle which fell to the ground, and in this manner he kept his 

 vines so clean that he could scarcely find a single beetle in 1868." 

 AVhile we were investigating the outbreak of this pest near Iwipley, 

 N. Y., a man who owned a fine vineyard very near the two which 

 had been seriously injured by the insect, said that his flock of 

 chickens had the run of his vineyard and he was sure he had seen 

 tliem eating many of the beetles. Whet'ever it is practicdble^ give 

 ajiooh of chickens a chance to help in the warfare against the fest. 



An effort was made in Ohio to kill the beetles, which were 

 " playing possum " on the ground, by spraying them with kerosene 

 emulsion of various strengtlis and with pyrethrum in solution (one 

 ounce to two gallons of water) and some that were thoroughly 

 drenched were killed, but manv recovered, and the method was 

 abandoned. 



It may be practicable in some cases to jar the beetles off onto 

 sheets or an inverted umbrella-shaped apparatus, as many now catch 

 the plum curculio. 



As the beetles feed openly on the upper surface of the leaves, 

 one can easily feed them poison with a spray pump. Arkansas 

 vineyardists report "only fair success in efforts to poison the beetles." 

 The first experiments in Ohio with Paris green and London purple, 

 using 1 pound with 5 or 6 pounds of lime in 100 gallons of water, 

 were very encouraging, as many of the beetles were killed. But in 

 1896 Mr. Webster reported that " tlie beetles do not yield at all 

 readily to poisons ;" in 1899, he reports that " at present there are 

 some grounds for hoping that arsenate of lead (Bowker's ' arsenic 

 lead ') may prove effective in killing off the beetles before they have 

 oviposited." Evidently it requires a strong dose of poison to kill 

 the beetles quickly enough. The application should be made at 

 least as early as the 25th of June, and not later than July 15th. 

 The arsenate of lead, although more expensive, is to be recom- 

 mended in preference to other poisons, as it will stick on the foliage 



