THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



In illustration we show Fig. 1396 an 

 industry gooseberry bush before pruning, 

 and in Fig. 1397 the same after pruning. 

 These two illustrations are from bulletin 

 of Geneva Experiment Station. 



Mr. S. Spillett, of Nantyr, writes : I 

 send you a pail of each variety of goose- 

 berries that have borne that much this 

 year. I never had such small Down- 

 ings and Pearls. The severe scorching 

 they got last year with mildew seems to 

 have affected the vitality of the bushes. 



For big berries Crosby leaves nothing 



to be desired. Autocrat also has done 



well. 



Mr. F. W. Porter, of Mount Forrest, 



writes : 



Although this is the worst season for Goose- 

 berries I have seen for many years, what with 

 spring frosts and the Aphis they are in a bad 

 condition, still I think 1 can give you some 

 fair samples of Whitesmith, lout as we are 

 later here than with you they had better be 

 left on the bushes awhile longer to let them 

 swell up. I had to cut my Industries down 

 to the ground. The more tender Raspberries 

 were killed in this neighborhood. 



THE GRAPE LEAF HOPPER. 



^ p^HE grape leaf-hoppers pass the 

 winter in the adult state, hiber 

 nating under dead leaves or 

 other rubbish, the survivors be- 

 coming active in spring, when they in- 

 sert their eggs in punctures in the leaves 

 of the vine. The yellow nymphs are 

 hatched from these eggs during the 

 month of June, and they resemble their 

 parents except in size, and having no 

 wings. During their growth, they shed 

 their skins {which are nearly white) sev- 

 eral times, and although exceedingly de- 

 licate and gossamer-like, the empty skins 

 remain for some time attached to the 

 leaves in a very life-like attitude. The 

 nymphs feed together on the under sides 

 of the leaves, and are very quick in their 

 rnovements, hopping briskly about by 

 means of their hind legs, which are es- 

 pecially fitted for this purpose. They 

 have a peculiar habit of running side- 

 ways, and when they see that they are 

 observed upon one side of a leaf, they 

 will often dodge quickly around to the 

 other. Each is furnished with a sharp 

 beak or proboscis, with which it punc- 

 tures the skin of the leaf, and then sucks 

 out the sap; this produces yellowish or 

 brownish spots on the upper surface. 

 At first these spots are small and do not 

 attract much attention ; but as the 

 insects increase in size, the spots 

 often involve the whole leaf, which ap- 



pears as though scorched, and often 

 drops from the vine. Occasionally, vines 

 become so far defoliated that the fruit 

 fails to ripen. As the nymphs grow, 

 diminutive wings appear, which gradually 

 develop into the mature wings of the 

 adult. With the full growth of its wings, 

 it acquires such power of flight that it 

 readily flies from vine to vine, and thus 

 spreads itself in all directions. It con- 

 tinues its mischievous work until late in 

 the season, when it seeks shelter for the 

 winter. 



The Clinton, Delaware, and other 

 thin-leaved varieties suffer more from 

 the attacks of these leaf-hoppers than do 

 the thick leaved sorts like the Concord. 

 These insects are sometimes quite abund- 

 ant in a vineyard one year, and com- 

 paratively scarce the next. Their pre- 

 servation, doubtless, depends much on 

 favorable hibernating conditions. One 

 should not wait until late in the season 

 when the leaf-hoppers are full-grown and 

 can fly, before beginning active warfare 

 against them. When young nymphs, 

 they can only hop about, and are also 

 more susceptible to insecticides. As 

 they suck their food from the interior of 

 the leaves, the poisons can have no 

 efTect upon them. 



Kerosene emulsion, thoroughly appli- 

 ed to the undersides of the leaves about 

 July ist, will check this pest. — R. N. Y. 



300 



