STRAWBERRY INSECTS 387 



around the base of the plant, and frequently burrow into the 

 surrounding soil. The beetles feed on the foliage of various 

 plants, and when abundant may seriously injure newly set straw- 

 berry plants. The female deposits her minute whitish oval 

 eggs either on the surface of the ground or in her burrows in the 

 soil among the roots. The eggs hatch in about twenty days. 



The number of generations a year is not known, but that there 

 are probably two is indicated by the fact that the swarms of 

 beetles occur as a rule in June and again in August and Septem- 

 ber, but pupae and larva? of various sizes may be found through- 

 out the season. The insect passes the winter both as larvae 

 in the soil and as beetles hidden away in sheltered places. 



Treatment. 



Injury from the crown girdler may be avoided in large measure 

 by adopting the one-crop system of strawberry culture and by 

 planting only on or near land which is not infested. As the 

 grubs feed on the roots of various grasses, including timothy, 

 it is not advisable to plant on land recently in sod. An immune 

 crop, like potatoes, should intervene. The beetles may be kept 

 from injuring the leaves of newly-set strawberry plants by thor- 

 ough applications of arsenate of lead, which seems to act merely 

 as a repellent. In cases where the plants were protected in this 

 way the beetles have been known to enter the soil, and devour 

 the roots, thus rendering these measures of little value. 



References 



Mont. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 55, pp. 130-142. 1904. 

 Me. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 123. 1905. 



Black Vine-weevil 

 Otiorhynchus sulcatus Fabricius 



This European weevil was apparently introduced into the 

 Eastern states rfiany years ago, and now occurs throughout the 



