137 



The Grape-vine Leaf-roller in Texas. 



Will you pleasp give me .some information in regard to the treatment of the "leaf- 

 roller " Desmia vuiculalis? It has utterly defoliated the grapes here. I have just 

 come here and am unable to say how much injury it has done over the State. — [R. H. 

 Price, Professor of Horticulture, Texas, September 9, 1892. 



Reply. — The Grape-vine Leaf-roller, Desmia maculalis, is two-brooded iu Missouri, 

 passing the winter in the chrysalis state. In Texas there may be more generations, 

 but the method of hibernation should be the same. Carefully raking up and burning 

 the leaves during the winter is a good remedy. In small vineyards the folded leaves 

 may be picked by hand late iu tlie season before the leaves fall, or earlier iu summer 

 the worms may easily be crushed by hand within the leaf. Such an extraordinary 

 abundance as you indicate is unusual, and wouhl justify the use of arsenicals in 

 early sunnuer. — [September 14, 1892.] 



Relative Destructiveness of Cut--worms in Meado-w and Pasture. 



In Insect Life (vol. iv, p. 400) is a note where an Iowa correspondent has mis- 

 taken cut-worms for tumble-bugs. I have had a good many years' experience Avith 

 cut-worms, as I plow up more or less sod for corn every year. I have never had corn 

 damaged to any extent on land that had been mowed, but always the damage was 

 where it had been pastured, and the longer it had been pastured the worse the dam- 

 age from cut-worms has always been. I have found fall plowing to be of some bene- 

 fit, but not a remedy. 



In 1891 1 had a field of corn planted on sod, one-half of which was divided off with 

 temporary fence and mowed, and the other pastured. All the meadow was fall plowed, 

 and about one-half of the pasture around the outside; balance was plowed late in 

 spring. The fence was removed and all planted together. May 28 and 29 (late plant- 

 ing pays here), on purpose to avoid cut-worms. On the meadow land there was not 

 a liill destroyed by cut-worms, while the pasture part was all cut oft' several times 

 and only escaped complete destruction by the disappearance of the Avorms before the 

 corn roots Avere entirely exhausted. As it Avas the crop Avas damaged considerably. 

 On the part of the pasture land fall ploAved they Avere not (]uite so bad as on the 

 spring plowed. They were mostly the brown-striped cut-Avorm, and disappeared 

 about June 16. 



I have giA'cu tlie aboAe as a sample of my experience for the last nine years, when 

 I first began to notice the difference betAveen meadow and pasture Avith regard to 

 cut- worms. ' " * — [H. J. Giddings, IoA\'a, September 20, 1892. 



Damage to Cattle Hides by the Ox Bot. 



* * * Having been practical tanners ourselAes Ave can testify to the immense 

 damage to hides perpetrated by the Bot Fly. It seems to us that farmers should be 

 systematically and vigorously reminded of the terrible loss occasioned by grub 

 holes iu cattle hides. We are constantly calling attention to this in our paper, but 

 the Department of Agriculture has it iu its poAver to do more effectiA-e AA'ork than 

 ourselves. The schools and colleges of agriculture in the different States would 

 jiroljably cooperate in putting down this nuisance if the remedies were placed be- 

 fore them. We shall do our best to persuade the big packers of Chicago and other 

 cities to remind shijipers of cattle that a little more attention x>aid to grub holes 

 would make the beast worth from 50 cents to $1 more. * * * — [R. C. Jacobsen, 

 Ed. Hide and Leather. Chicago, 111., June 20, 1892.] 



The Rabbit Bot. 



First letter. — I take pleasure in sending by this mail one of three larA'jc taken 

 today from the skin of the throat of a young rabbit two to two and a half months 

 old. The rabbit appeared to have suffered a great deal of pain, as I caught it Avith 



