110 



AMERICAN HONEY PLANTS 



the juice from such fruits as have already been broken open and are 

 already damaged. 



Wet weather often causes ripening grapes to crack open to such an 

 extent that they would be of little value, even though no insect touched 



Fig. 66. Gorse or furze. 



them thereafter. In dry weather, also, birds sometimes pierce the skins, 

 apparently in search of moisture from lack of an available water supply. 

 Some authorities say that at such times a liberal supply of water in open 

 vessels near the vineyard will stop the injury from the birds. The English 

 sparrow is accused of injury to grapes to a larger extent than most birds. 



The grape-berry moth infests a great many grapes in some localities. 

 In fact, entomologists state that in some localities as high as 50 per cent of 

 the crop is injured by this insect alone. The fact that the honeybee sucks 

 the juice from the berries which have already been opened by wet wea'ther, 

 grape-berry moths or other causes, does not greatly injure the grape 

 grower, for such fruit is of little value. 



The writer has visited the raisin districts of Southern California and 

 discussed this condition with the raisin growers. The accompanying pic 



