366 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and I do not propose, as intimated at the beginning of this talk, to 

 speak hastily on any point nor to express my opinion, intending it 

 to carry weight, until I have thoroughly studied the question pre- 

 sented. I might say, however, in a general way, that among the 

 pests attacking the strawberry there are two which stand out with 

 some prominence. One, the strawberry root borer, in its larval 

 form is a pinkish caterpillar half an inch long which bores in the 

 crown of large roots of the plant. In June about this time it 

 changes to the pupa, and late in this month a small dark gray moth 

 emerges, laying its eggs in July, in the crown of the plant. The 

 plants wither and die as a result of the injury. A general remedy 

 suggested is to dust the plant with air slaked lime or soot, but this 

 is only a partial relief. The only way really is to take up the infest- 

 ed plant, burn it and plant a new one. Interesting to note in connec- 

 tion with this plant, though there is possibly a mistake in supposing 

 it to be the more interesting, is the peach twig borer; for both are 

 known under the same name Anatsia lineatella, and they resem- 

 ble each other closely, but evidence is not lacking to show that they 

 are not the same. Some interesting information along this line may 

 shortly be expected from the California Experiment Station. By 

 peach twig borer you will understand that I do not refer to the 

 peach tree borer. 



The second pest is the strawberry crown borer. This is a beetle 

 that deposits its eggs in June and July on the crown. The larva, 

 or grub, bores in the crown until it is full grown, one-fifth of an 

 inch, white with a yellow head, transforming in the root. The beetle 

 emerges in August. The beetle is brown, about one-sixth of an 

 inch long. The best known remedy is to dig up and destroy the 

 infested plants. 



As to insects attacking and eating the leaves, I think I am safe 

 in saying they may be killed by spraying the leaves (this must be 

 done long before fruit is ripe) with Paris green or hellebore in 

 water. As I write this the insect question suggests itself in connec- 

 tion with robins and other birds eating the fruit. It is trying to the 

 strawberry grower to find that fruit which could be marketed has 

 been practically destroyed by the birds. The question is what shall 

 we do about it? Shall we shoot the birds as our enemies, or shall 

 we cultivate them as our friends? One of the most interesting as 

 well as one of the most difficult questions is this very point. My 

 personal opinion is that if the birds nest in the vicinity of the garden 

 they consume enough injurious insects when feeding their young 

 (and, as you know, the number that they take to their young in a 

 day is almost incredible) to more than pay for the fruit they con- 



