The Grape-vine Flea-beetle. 205 



present in their vineyards in alarming numbers until most of the 

 damage is done. 



There are two methods of combating the beetles in early spring 

 when they emerge from hibernation and attack the bursting buds. 

 They may be collected by hand, or the spraying machine may be 

 brought into use. Both methods are practicable and have 

 proven successful when properly applied. 



On a few vines in a village 3'ard or in the farmer's garden, it 

 should be an eas}^ matter to control the pest by examining the 

 vines carefully each morning in May, or oftener if necessary, and 

 crushing in the fingers or otherwise all the beetles to be found. 

 Or the beetles can be readily jarred into a pan of kerosene ; this 

 method is often practiced, even in large vineyards. The follow- 

 ing modification of this method has been successfully employed : 

 A strip of cotton cloth, 3 by 6 feet, kept open by cross-sticks at 

 the ends, is thoroughly saturated with kerosene and held under 

 the vine, while the supporting-post, or the vine itself, is struck 

 a sharp blow with a club. The beetles readily fall by the jar, 

 and contact with the kerosene sooner or later destroys them. 

 Doubtless- it may be found advisable in some cases to use two of 

 these sheets in order that the vine may be more completely sur- 

 rounded. With this simple apparatus three bo^^s can go over a 

 large vineyard almost as fast as they can walk ; and if this be 

 done every day, say for a week, in an infested field, the beetles 

 will be quite thoroughly destroyed. After striking the saturated 

 sheet the beetles show no disposition either to fl}' or jump. To 

 prevent the possibility of an}" which might strike the sheet near 

 the edge from crawling off and escaping, simply stitch a rim of 

 cotton batting to the edge of the sheet and saturate it also 

 with kerosene. 



A few 3^ears ago the beetles destroyed nearl}^ all the buds on 

 some vines near the insectary before we were aware what was the 

 cause of the vines noi ' ' starting ' ' in the spring as did others not 

 far away. It was then so late that no attempts were made to 

 check the pest that spring, and other duties prevented our get- 

 ting in a blow at the grubs, as we might have done, during the 

 summer. But the next spring we were on the watch and as soon 

 as the advance guard of the enemy appeared on the swelling buds 



