Proceedings of Seventeenth Xormal Institute 257 



Sanborn, Lockport, Gasport and Middleport. In some gardens 

 it did considerable damage to both fruit and foliage of cherry 

 trees. Several growers reported considerable nmnbers of the 

 beetles on foliage of young peach trees. The principal damage 

 was in the southern portion, and there were no complaints of 

 injuries by the insect for the northern section of ISTiagara county. 



According to Mr. F. Z. Hartzell of this station the beetles were 

 first discovered at Fredonia on June 7, although they appeared 

 nearly a week earlier in the southern portion of Chautauqua 

 county. He states that the creatures were observed at this time 

 on potatoes, milkweed, timothy, roses, dahlias and grapes, but 

 apparently they did not feed on these plants. The insects obtained 

 their subsistence from cherries and peaches, preferring sour cher- 

 ries and peaches. Sweet cherries escaped with little damage to 

 foiliage. Young plantings of sour cherries as well as of peaches 

 suffered the most, and in these the trees often sustained con- 

 siderable defoliation. Serious injuries were occasionally detected 

 on old sour cherry trees, but with these the damage was usually 

 confined to the low^er limbs. However, at Jamestown a large 

 isolated cherry tree was noted on June 8 with the foliage almost 

 ri-ddled ; while many of the green cherries had been eaten by 

 battles. Extensive feeding of foliage was also observed on mature 

 peach trees. 



On the station grounds at Geneva the insect showed a decided, 

 preference for the Mahaleb cherry; and, while the entire foliage 

 of trees of this variety was much eaten, the common sweet and 

 sour cherries suffered relatively little harm. This is an inter- 

 esting fact as sour cherries of such sorts as Montmorency and 

 English Morello are usually worked on Mahaleb stock ; and the 

 occurrence of extreme injuries to shoots and suckers of cherry 

 trees, as reported by some correspondents, is probably explained 

 by the partiality of the pest for the above species of cherry. This 

 is of European origin and has escaped from cultivation, being com- 

 mon! v found in the neighborhood of nurserv centers. The insect 

 was observed by Mr, Hartzell feeding on the red or bird cherry 

 (Prunus pennsylvanica) , and its attack on this plant were 

 similar in nature and extent as recorded for cultivated cherries. 

 No evidence of the insect securing subsistence on the choke cherry 

 (P. virginiaTva) or the wild black cherry (P. serotina) came to* 



our attention. 

 II — 9 



