280 FIHST ANN"UAL EEPOET OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



worthless vegetable matter, cannot be too highly recommended, as aids 

 in freeing the garden and field from the onerous tax of insect depre- 

 dation. 



Destroying the insect hefoi'e ovipositiou. — As soon as the leaves of the 

 currants, roses and other early shrubs commence to unfold in the 

 spring — in all gardens where this insect abounded the previous year, 

 watch should be kept for its first coming abroad from its winter quar- 

 ters. Kearly all the individuals will be females, with their abdomen 

 swollen with their burden of eggs ready to be deposited. They will be 

 found sluggish in their movements, and their conspicuous coloring and 

 marking render them easy to be seen. As an incentive to watchful- 

 ness now, it need only to be borne in mind, that for every one captured 

 and killed before oviposition, there will be at least a score less of inde- 

 fatigable depredators upon the choicest products of the garden through- 

 out the early summer months, and hundreds less of the augmented 

 later brood. 



The "jarring " method and its success. — Ijater, when the larvae 

 (distinguished by the absence of wmg-pads) and pupae have collected 

 at the tips and on the tender leaves of the plants, they should besought 

 for on the under side of the leaves where they hide. When occurring 

 in such numbers that hand-picking becomes too laborious, they may' 

 be shaken in a pan of water and kerosene, and killed. This should be 

 done in the cool of the morning, while they are comparatively inactive, 

 and not so ready to fall to the ground at the slightest disturbance. It 

 is important also, that as many as possible be destroyed while yet in 

 the larval and pupal stages, during May and early June, for with the 

 acquirement of wings they become more active, shoAV increased timidity, 

 and are more ready to drop from tlie leaves. Though for the most 

 part, they seek safety in hiding, yet occasionally they resort to flight. 



That the injuries of this insect are largely to be prevented by the 

 methods above given, is evident from a statement made in the Ayneri- 

 can Entomologist (vol. ii, 1870, p. 293), of the success that attended 

 the efforts to preserve a pear orchard from the threatened destruction 

 of its blossom buds by Lygus lineolaris — a species almost identical in 

 habits to P. lineatus, but more numerous and of greater destructive- 

 ness. A gentleman had made various applications to his trees, and 

 among them, cresylic soap, but without avail. "Not discouraged by 

 this want of success, Mr. A. afterward went over all his pear trees, 

 about two thousand in number, with a basin of soap-suds early in the 

 morning, and shaking each branch, caused the bugs to fall into the 

 water. It took about three hours' time of three men, and by com- 

 mencing early they were enabled to get through before it became warm 



