458 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 36 



" The nymphs are frequently caused to drop from the trees by high winds, 

 heavy rains, sprays, etc., and may then either reascend the tree or feed upon 

 the weeds, grass, or clover at its base. Though capable of coming to maturity 

 on the foregoing plants, in the adult state they invariably seek the apple and 

 pear to deposit their eggs 



" In control not only must the tree be thoroughly sprayed to kill as many 

 bugs as possible, but those which have fallen to the ground must be kept there 

 without food until they starve. If the orchard is in sod, or the weeds are 

 abundant, the insects on reaching the adult state will fly to the trees and con- 

 tinue their work. The orchard must, therefore, be kept in a state of clean cul- 

 tivation, until all the insects have reached the adult state, which will be at the 

 end of the first week in July. The trees must be banded with tree tanglefoot 

 to prevent the reascent of the insects that have fallen to the ground. 



" The trees must be properly pruned so that all parts can be readily reached 

 by the spray. Apple trees should be sprayed with blackleaf 40 in the strength 

 of 1 pint to 100 gal., just before the blossoms open and again after they fall ; 

 pear trees just after the petals fall and again five days later. A very heavy 

 drenching spray must be applied. The insects are much more easily controlled 

 on pears than on apples, so that with light infestations in this tree spraying 

 alone should be sufficient to control the pest." 



Studies of life histories of froghoppers of Maine, H. Osborn {Maine Sta, 

 Bui. 254^ {1916), pp. 265-288, pis. 6, figs. 6). — Under the heading of meadow 

 froghoppers the author reports studies made of the meadow froghopper 

 {Philcmns siiKwarius), the grass-feeding froghopper (P. Uneatus), and the 

 angulated froghopper {Lepyronia quadrangularis) ; and under the heading of 

 bush and tree froghoppers. the parallel spittle insect {Aphrophora parallcla), 

 the alder spittle insect {Clastoptera obttisa), the dog- wood spittle insect (C. 

 proteus), C. xanthocephala, and Philaronia bUincata are considered. 



It is pointed out that while P. spumarius occurs almost entirely on plants 

 other than grasses, P. Uneatus occurs almost exclusively on grasses, especially 

 timothy and redtop. P. spumariv~s is widely distributed in the eastern United 

 States as well as in Europe. P. Uneatus has a wide range in the northern 

 hemisphere, occurring over a wide territory in Europe and North America, but 

 in the United States appears to be distributed especially through the northern 

 portion, occurring from Maine to the Rocky Mountains. The life histories of 

 tJtiese species agree very closely, so that one statement will almost answer for 

 the two. 



Where the buttercup is present P. spumarius seems to gather on it in 

 preference to other plants, though clover is apparently nearly as much af- 

 fected and there is no doubt that the hopi)ers must be a distinct factor in the 

 reduction of the formation of the perfect clover heads. The eggs are believed 

 to pass the winter in the meadows where the nymphs are observed in summer, 

 and are probably deposited in the stems of their various food plants or pos- 

 sibly in dead stems or leaves at the surface of the ground. The larvae hatch 

 in early summer and the nymphs develop rather rapidly, only adults being 

 observed from the middle of July. A frequent rotation from grass to some 

 other crop is thought to be the most effective means of controlling P. Uneatus. 

 Neither L. quadrangularis nor any of the bush and tree froghoppers appears 

 to be of much economic importance. 



Macrosiphum granarium, the English grain aphis, W. J. Phillips (f7. S. 

 Dept. Agr., Jour. Agr. Research, 7 {1916), No. 11, pp. ^63-^0, pU. S, fig. 1).— 

 As stated by the author, the object of this paper is primarily to record some 

 details of the life history of M. gratuirium (with which Aphis avence is synony- 

 mous) and to discuss the interesting color variations in relation to the sexes. 



