614 BOARD OF AGRICULTUKE. 



Prof. Troop: There is not much to be said on my subject. "Pre- 

 vention of Diseases and Insect Depradations." There are a few speci- 

 mens of insects that attacli the strawberry that have not been men- 

 tioned here, and among them is the leaf roller. The leaf roller is a 

 little moth that attacks a plant in the spring of the year, laying its eggs 

 on the leaf and rolling them up, and feeding on the green portion of the 

 leaf. Now this little insect often does considerable injury to plants, 

 especially where plants have been grown for several years in succession. 

 When a bed is left in the same place for two or three years, this insect 

 may be very bad the last year or so, and if sti-awberries are grown right 

 in the same vicinity year after year it will give serious trouble until 

 something is done. This little moth lays its eggs on the leaves and 

 begins its work just about the time the fruit is ripening, so it would 

 not be possible to poison it on account of poisoning the fruit, and any- 

 thing that would poison the insect would poison a person. So then, it 

 is not practical to use poison upon it, because the fruit would be poisoned 

 at the same time. This little insect must be handled in some different 

 way. The only way that I have found to treat it is to burn over the 

 strawberry patch after the fruit is picked. There has been quite a good 

 deal said about this, but my experience is that this is one of the best 

 things that can be done with a strawberry bed if you are going to leave 

 it for another crop, is to burn it off. In this way you destroy all the 

 leaf rollers, and any other insects that may be there, and at the same 

 time destroy all the weeds, and your pJants will come on clean and 

 healthy and good. Now this one thing tells the whole story in regard 

 to most of the insects. Not all. This is fine for the leaf roller and all 

 the diseases that attack the leaf of a plant. Many varieties are subject 

 to the rust. 



Mr. Van Deman: Are you troubled with the white grub? 



Prof. Troop: Yes, we are. But when you burn the patch off the 

 plant comes up nice and fresh. I wonder how many of the growers 

 in this vicinity practice burning over their strawberry beds? A number 

 do, but not all. You will find that this is one of the best things you can 

 do if you leave the bed two or three years. Some are afraid of burning 

 plants because it will kill them, but it will only help them, and you 

 will be surprised when they come up again, and see how fresh, vigorous 

 and bright the foliage is. Burning will destroy all the insects above the 

 ground that attack the strawberry. 



There is a little beetle attacks the roots of the strawberry, and 

 another attacks the crown of the plant. The eggs are laid in these 

 places. 



The white grub is one of tlie hardest things to manage. This is 

 under ground, and about the only way to kill it is to set moles to 

 work and they Avill do llio worl^. Imt llic.v are about as bad as the 



