182 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



The Grape vine Flea-beetle. — This is a shining blue-black flea- 

 beetle ^-inch long, which sometimes appears in large numbers on 

 grape vines when the buds are bursting, and again late in sum- 

 mer. The grub is of a dirty, yellowish-brown, with black shining 

 bristle-bearing tubercles on the body. This, like the matuie beetle, 

 feeds on the foliage which it riddles with holes. Fig. 23 shows the 

 Fig. 23.— The Qrape Yine Flea-beetle enlarged ; the hair line at the side indicates its 



Grape-vine i i ^l <=> ' 



Flea beetle. I'eal length. 



Remedies. — Dusting the vines in early spring when the beetles appear with Paris 

 green and lime (1 lb. to 50), or spraying ^Ib. Paris green to 50 gallons of water. Clean 

 culture and the burning of all leaves and rubbish, as well as keeping the ground 

 smooth, will prevent the mature beetles, which pass the winter in that state, from 

 hibernating near the vines. 



The Snowy Tree-cricket. — This is not so fre- 

 quently injurious to the grape as to the raspberry, of 

 which, however, Prof. Saunders (Insects Injurious to 



24.-TheSnow^ Tree-cricket. ^^^^^^^ "^'J^^l considers it the most troublesome 



enemy. The injury is committed by the female 

 in the operation of depositing her eggs. These are laid in the autumn in long rows 

 of punctures which weaken the stems so that they break easily. The young hatch 

 out in the spring and feed upon other small insects. The injured twigs should always 

 be cut out and destroyed. Fig. 24 shows the female of the Snowy Tree-cricket life- 

 size. 



The Large Eed-headed Flea-beetle. — This beetle belongs to an extensive 

 family of injurious beetles, the Chrysomelidce, and is a slender beetle ^ of an inch in length 

 by yig in width at the widest part. The whole body is black and shining, with a dull 

 red patch on the top of the head in front. The beetle was particularly troublesome 

 last season and attacked a great variety of plants. Potatoes and horse-beans, many 

 kinds of deciduous shrubs and particularly grapes were at times badly damaged. 

 Mr. Craig found it very injurious to young grape vines at Ottawa. Its attacks were 

 worst on those varieties which belonged to the thin-leaved grapes derived from 

 Vitis riparia. The greatest damage was done to some young seedlings which were 

 not trained on trellises and which had not been sprayed with fungicides. 



Remedy. — Spraying infested plants with Paris green, ^ lb. to 50 gallons water. 



THE BLACK VINE WEEVIL 

 (Otiorhynchus sulcatus. Fab.). 



Attack. — Snout beetles, three-tenths of an inch in length, black, spotted with 

 white, which attack foliage of various plants. In the larva! state, yellowish white 

 grubs, with head darker, which attack the roots. It may be specially noted as 

 bearing on the question of remedies, that the wing cases which in most beetles are 

 separate and cover true wings, in this family are joined together, and the beetles 

 have no wings, so that they can only reach their food plant by crawling. 



Last winter I received from Mr. G. A. Knight, of Victoria, B.C., some specimens 

 of Coleopterous larvae. He wrote later : — 



" February 25. — I received your letter some time ago, asking for some more 

 grubs. They are now turning into beetles, so I send them on. They are from 

 Cyclamen plants in the green-house." 



" March 31. — The weevil grubs only eat the roots of the Cyclamens and make 

 them sickly and unsaleable. I had thrown my plants away before I received your 

 last letter. I only grow a few Cyclamens, there being little demand for them. I 

 raise the plants from seed every year. I think I have seen a few of these larvae out 

 of doors. They attack lots of other plants in the green-house beside Cyclamens. 



