59 



some ornamental plants, both in the open air and in hot-houses, 

 and at times on certain species of bulbs and roots when exposed 

 above ground. 



Hibernation takes place in the larval stage and begins immediately- 

 after hatching in September and October. The larvae begin feeding 

 in March and April, hiding in crevices and under loose pieces of bark 

 where they have access to the cambium layer. The individuals of 

 this brood attain maturity in June and oviposit during that month, 

 the larvae feeding on the green tender canes and leaves and being 

 found in the bunches of grapes when adult, or when almost full grown. 

 There are two distinct generations a year, oviposition occurring in 

 June to July, and September to October. The eggs usually hatch in 

 from 7-10 days, though in the autumn they may take as long as 

 2 weeks. 



This mealy-bug causes httle or no injury to the vine, nor are the 

 grapes affected in their development or in the percentage of sugar 

 they contain, even when heavily infested. The damage caused 

 consists solely in a depreciation of the market value of the grapes 

 owing to the condition of the bunches, the honeydew forming a sticky 

 mass containing the white flocculent egg-sacs and cast skins. Grapes 

 such as these may be dried, but make an inferior raisin ; the best 

 use for them is the distillery. Unless the bunches are heavily infested, 

 the scale is seldom seen on the outside berries, its presence being only 

 detected by the honeydew on them. 



Conditions best suited to the insect are shade and seclusion, and 

 protection from bright hght, wind and sudden change of temperature. 

 When a bunch of grapes is picked these conditions change, and the 

 insect leaves the bunch sooner or later and crawls about, hiding in 

 some crack or crevice of the picking box, whence it may reach other 

 boxes stacked in the packing shed. Special attention and precau- 

 tionary measures should therefore be taken in the packing shed, the 

 most important being : — The exclusion of all bunches showing signs 

 of honeydew and the rejection of boxes containing such grapes ; the 

 disinfection of boxes that have contained infested bunches, either by 

 dipping them in boihng water, by subjecting them to a jet of steam so 

 as to reach every crack and crevice and all the surfaces of the box, 

 or fumigating them with hydrocyanic gas or sulphur. 



Maskew (F.). a Record of Six Years' Work.— M«^^^. Bull. Cal. State 

 Cofnmiss. Hortic, Sacramento, vii, no. 9, September 1918, 

 pp. 521-522, 1 fig. [Received 6th December 1918.] 



A list of some of the more destructive insects that have been kept 

 out of the State of California by means of its quarantine system 

 during the years 1912-1918 includes :- Mediterranean fruit-fly 

 (Ceratitis capitata), Mexican fruit-fly {Anastrepha ludens), gipsy moth 

 [Porthetria dispur), pink bollworm of cotton {Pedinophora gossypiella), 

 Colorado potato beetle {Le])tinotarsa decemlineata), plum curculio 

 {Conotrachelus ?ienuphar), melon fly (Dams cucurbitae), bro\\Ti-tail 

 moth {Nygmia phaeorrhoea), Mexican cotton boll weevil {Anthonomus 

 grandis), alfalfa weevil {Hyjyera variabilis), sweet potato weevils 

 {Cylas jormicarius and Euscepes batatae), Japanese beetle {Adoretus 

 umbrosus) and Oriental peach moth {Cydia molesta). 



(C538> b2 



