848 



THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



day. &quot;While those which appear earliest begin this work about the middle of May, it is con 

 tinued by others which appear later, until the last of June or the first of July, thus extending 

 the period of egg depositing to about two months. 



The larva which is hatched from the egg, is a little footless worm, somewhat maggot-like, 

 except that it has a distinct head and is less attenuate at the extremity; is of a glossy 

 yellowish- white color, but partakes more or less of the color of the flesh of the fruit in which 

 it resides; there is a lighter line running along each side of the body, with a row of minute 

 black bristles below, and a less distinct one above it; the stomach is rust red or dark brown, 

 the head yellowish or pale brown. Length, when full grown, about two-fifths of an inch. 

 The fruit containing this grub does not usually mature, but falls to the ground before it is 

 quite fully grown. When it has completed this stage it leaves the fruit now on the ground, 

 and burrows a few inches into the earth, where it remains in the pupa state.&quot; In the follow 

 ing spring it emerges from the ground a perfect beetle, and renews its attacks on fruit. 

 The most effective method of destroying this insect is to permit the chickens to have free 

 access about the orchard. This has been found to be a sure remedy in numerous instances, 

 the young chicks eagerly destroying the insects. The case of a gentleman who abandoned 

 his plum orchard, owing to the ravages of the curculio, and using it for a chicken yard, has 

 already been mentioned. Leaving the plum trees simply for a shade, he was astonished to 

 find that every year after the chickens occupied the yard he had a good crop of plums. We 

 know of no remedy more effectual than this for protecting the plum orchard from this insect. 

 Dusting with wood ashes frequently when the leaves are wet, smoking the trees with 

 petroleum, leather, or woolen rags are sometimes beneficial; also spraying the young plums 

 with soap suds. Picking up all the fruit that falls, and burning it, placing sheets or blankets 

 underneath the trees, and suddenly jarring the trees, by which means the insects, after 

 falling, may be killed, are all more or less effectual in getting rid of the pest. The best time 

 for jarring the trees for the purpose of capturing the insects is in the morning, when they are 

 quite sluggish, and may be easily caught. 



Grape- Yilie Flea Beetle. &quot; This insect is very destructive to the grape-vine in some 

 sections. Prof. C. V. Riley says of it: The beetles which hibernated begin their destructive 

 work in the spring as soon as the buds commence to swell, and it is at this early period that 



the greatest damage is done by the beetles boring 

 into and feeding on said buds. Later in the 

 season the beetles feed upon the leaves, and upon 

 these, in the month of May, the female lays her 

 small, orange-colored eggs in clusters. These 

 soon hatch, and the young dark-colored larvae 

 soon riddle the leaf, as shown in the cut (a), or 

 when very numerous completely devour it, leav 

 ing only the largest ribs. In about a month the 

 full-grown larvse (&) descend into the ground, 

 where each forms a small earthen cell (c), and 

 changes to a dull yellowish pupa of the shape 

 normally assumed in this family. The perfect 

 beetle issues about three weeks later, from the 

 middle of June to the middle of July, and again 

 begins to eat the leaves, but the damage done to 

 them is trifling compared with that done in early 



GRAPE-VINE FLEA-BEETLE. spring. So far as we have observed, there is but 



a, leaf, with larvse, natural size; b. larva, one annual generation, but it is probable that in 



&quot;&amp;gt; re Sa ^ m States there wiu be two As 



soon as cold weather approaches, the beetles 



