212 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



tuiiately the fall army-worm worked also in other crops notably in beans. 

 Here the poils were eaten into and the contents of the seeds scooped ont 

 resulting in a characteristic injury which later was noticed by the seeds- 

 men and which proved quite a mystery to them until the matter was 

 explained. • 



The apple-seed chalcis, Syntomaspis druparum, appeared in limited 

 numbers for the first time in our State. Its work shows as a depression 

 and scar usually on the side of the apple, which on being bisected through 

 the surface scar, shows a healed up path leading to the core.. An exami- 

 nation of the seeds shows ^m-t or all of them to be scooped oat leaving 

 little more than a shell, some of these shells enclosing larvae or grubs. 

 The grubs pass the winter in fallen apples, to come out in the spring for 

 tlie purpose of laying their eggs in the snuall apples of the next season. 

 This pest is most easily controlled by the destniction of all fallen apples 

 before winter sets in. 



The garden web-worm, Loxostcge similalis, was more troublesome 

 thau usual in alfalfa, the damage was most serious in young seeding 

 where it was possible to do very effective work by merely rolling the land. 

 The roller crushes the livrvae Avithout seriously injuring the young 

 plants. 



Grasshoppers. — The grasshopper invasion has progressed accor<ling to 

 scliedule. The areas which have suffered the most and the longest are 

 showing a marked improvement. The grasshoppers are dwindling and 

 in the Lower Peninsula the number of blister-beetles is increasing. New 

 areas are, however, becoming infested on the bordere of those already 

 infested as was to be expected. In the Upper Peninsula the progress has 

 not been so great, largely because the land is less thickly settled and the 

 invasion is not so old. Furthermore, the use of poisoned bait has not 

 been so vigorously i)ursued. Nevertheless hair-snakes, Gordiinae, are 

 plentiful and a teacupful of the large Melanophis fcmorotus from this 

 region yielded half a teacupful of the worms known as hair-snakes on 

 being torn apart. It is to be expected that the blister-beetles will soon 

 appear autd make their presence felt in this northern region. 



As noted in the /eport of last j^ear one of the grape leafhoppers, 

 Typhlocytha tricinta t\'as exceedingly common in the griipe belt. A strong 

 effort was made to successfully combat this pest by means of sprays 

 although the writer is convinced that permanent relief willbe obtained 

 only through the destruction of the winter quarters of the pest, viz. 

 fallen leaves, rubbish and similar shelter of all sorts in the vicinity of 

 the vineyards. However, it was clearly demonstrated that the leafhopper 

 may be controlled although sometimes with difficulty by one or more 

 sprays of Bordeaux and forty per cent nicotine sulphate, the first applica- 

 tion to be made just before the hoppers get their wings. Success depends 

 largely on the thoroughness and force of the application and on the care 

 with wliich the under surface of each leaf is coated with the mixture. 



The grape-beiTy moth received considerable attention at about the same 

 time as the leafhopper. This insect has been steadily growing more 

 serious in the grape belt for a number of years. The experience of the 

 summer of 1921 would appear to indicate the superiority of Kedzie mix- 

 ture and Bordeaux over ever;\''thing else in the control of the pest, the 

 number of applications being determined by the gravity of the attack 

 but always there should be a spray about three or four days after bloom 



