'New York Agricultural Experime:s't Station, 47 



deposited beneatli the epidermis of the blossom and fruit stems. 

 Hatching takes place in a few days and the larvae seek preferably 

 the calyx cups, undersides of calyces, and the folds or under sur- 

 faces of the tender, expanding leaves. The larvse feed for about 

 two weeks and drop to the ground, in which they form a pro- 

 tecting cell. In this cell the insect completes its transformations 

 and emerges from the ground in' the spring as an adult. The 

 thrips is single brooded, and the most active and destructive 

 stages are coincident with the period that includes the life events 

 of the swelling and opening of the buds and dropping of blossoms!, 

 and calyces. If the thrips are numerous the injured buds of pear 

 trees become sticky with a brownish liquid and cease to develop, 

 while the blossom clusters have a stunted, shriveled and brownish 

 appearance as if blasted. Apple trees, wdiile visited by large 

 numbers of the adults, suffer to a much less extent, but dwarfed 

 and curled leaves and occasionally stunted fruits may be observed 

 in most orchards. The stems of sweet cherries are especially 

 attractive to the adults for the deposition of the eggs, and as a rule 

 they show considerable scarification. The effects of this injury 

 on fruit yields was not ascertained. 



During 1911 the actual range of the distribution of the thrips 

 in this State was not determined. It was quite destructive to pear 

 orchards, generally about ISTorth Germantown, Germantown and 

 Cheviot, and there were reasons for believing that the pest was 

 distributed over a large area of the Hudson River valley. In 

 western ISTew York specimens of the insect were found on apples 

 growing about Geneva. 



A brief report is given of experiments to develop efficient 

 methods of control. Spraying with nicotine extract in combin- 

 ation with kerosene emulsion or soap when buds are breaking and 

 until they are entirely opened is the most promising means of 

 protecting the trees. 



The grape leaf-hopper and its control. — This Bulletin, jSTo. 

 344, is a report of the life-history studies on this insect and of 

 various experiments to devise an effective and safe insecticide 

 for the protection of gi-ape vineyards. Considerable emphasis is 



I 



