68 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



The egg laying season is at its height when the grapes are ready to 

 be picked and placed on trays for drying. The loose cotton}' masses 

 which contain numerous small light yellow eggs, are easily seen as they 

 adhere to the grape cluster, and combined with the stick}' exudation of 

 the insect make a very disgusting spectacle. After the fruit is placed 

 on the drying trays, it soon becomes too warm on the surface for the 

 insects, and they make their way to cooler quarters, beneath the fruit 

 next to the tray, and are little noticed until the trays are turned to 

 complete the drying. 



Apparently the humid conditions foimd by the insect in the spaces 

 between the fruit and the tray, are ideal. It is here that one of the 

 most detrimental features of its work is accomplished. The work is so 

 concentrated, and honey dew is exuded in such large amounts, that 

 under those conditions it quickly attracts a smut fungus, which I believe 

 was the cause of a greater part of the rotting on the trays during the 

 past season, in this section. To this damage may be added the appear- 

 ance of the white, cottony egg sacks, and the dust and dirt of all kinds 

 which readily adheres to the sticky clusters, as well as a great amount 

 of shattering, caused no doubt, by the insect working at the stem end of 

 the berries. In the worst infestations much of the fruit is ruined 

 entirely, and a greater portion is rendered untit for cluster or fancy 

 packs. At the present time no observations have been made to deter- 

 mine how serious the weakening effect will be on the vine, as the damage 

 to ripening and drying fruit is at this time of major importance. 



Experiments were started hoping to determine, if possible, if young 

 insects would survive, or eggs hatch, after the raisins were packed, and 

 if so, to determine the amount of possible damage. Owing to the rush 

 at the packing houses in handling the enormous crop which was pro- 

 duced this season, the experiments were necessarily abandoned until 

 next year. 



At this writing no satisfactory control measures have been worked 

 out. It is evident that this work should be done during the dormant 

 season, because at this time the insect is not half grown, and is not 

 protected by the waxy covering in such large quantities as in the adult 

 stage, when a spray of sufficient killing strength would no doubt greatly 

 injure the vine. However, many difficulties must be overcome to secure 

 satisfactory results even when the vine is dormant, as the insect spends 

 the winter feeding on the tender bark, in cracks and crevices, often so 

 protected by layers of old, rough bark that to reach them with a spray 

 seems impossible. It will, no doubt, be necessary to use a very penetrat- 

 ing contact spray, under heav}' pressure and applied very thoroughly, 

 to kill a satisfactory percentage of the insects. 



Exhaustive experiments with various spray materials and fumigants 

 are being planned for the coming season, and satisfactory results are 

 anticipated. 



