DISEASES AND ENEMIES OF FRUIT. 849 



retire under fallen leaves in the ground, at the base of trees, under loose bark, in houses, in 

 short, in any place which offers shelter from the cold. 



In considering the best means of preventing the injuries of this insect, it must be borne 

 in mind that, according to our observations, the female beetle deposits her eggs by preference 

 on the leaves of the wild grape-vines, as the larvae are rarely met with in cultivated vineyards. 

 It is against the perfect beetle, therefore, that we must direct our efforts at destruction; and 

 while it is undoubtedly desirable to keep the vineyard clear of rubbish in winter time, by 

 burning wherever fire can be used safely, this means of destruction loses much of its impor 

 tance by the fact that the beetles hibernate in the woods and in any number of other places 

 where they cannot be destroyed by fire. Dry lime and hellebore, which may be used to 

 advantage against the larvsa, have proved useless against the beetle, while lye and soap suds 

 cannot be used strong enough to kill it without injurious effects upon the plant. Tin pans or 

 pails with some liquid at the bottom have been used to advantage for collecting the early 

 beetles, which could be knocked into them, and we have repeatedly advised for this and other 

 insects like the Grape-Vine Fidia, which fall to the ground upon disturbance, the use of sheets 

 along the trellis to catch them. Unless repeatedly shaken from such sheets into vessels con 

 taining liquid, the beetles will of course soon escape. 



The wonderful efficacy of kerosene in destroying insect life has long been known. It 

 was used three years ago with excellent effect in shallow tin pans, or on stretched sheets of 

 cloths, for the destructive locust of the &quot;West, and we strongly recommend its use in a similar 

 manner for the destruction of the Cotton Worm, when brushed off from the plants. 



Mr. L. G. Howard, Assistant Entomologist to the Department of Agriculture, has 

 employed it successfully on sheets against the Grape- Vine Flea-Beetle, finding it so satis 

 factory that he did not hesitate to recommend it in the following terms: &quot;Take two pieces of 

 common cotton sheeting, each being two yards long and half as wide; fasten sticks across the 

 ends of each piece to keep the cloth open, and then drench with kerosene. Give the sheets 

 thus prepared to two persons, each having hold of the rods at opposite ends of the sheets. 

 Then let these persons pass one sheet on either side of the vine, being careful to unite the 

 cloth around the base of the vine; then let a third person give the stake to which the vine is 

 attached a sharp blow with a heavy stick. Such a blow will in nearly every case jar the 

 beetles into the sheets, where the kerosene kills them almost instantly. 



This process, after a little experience, can be performed almost as rapidly as the persons 

 employed can walk from one vine to another. The expense necessary is very trifling, and 

 boys can do the work quite as well as men. Warm, bright afternoons are the proper times 

 for this work to be done, and it should be performed faithfully every sunny day until the 

 vines are out of danger.&quot; 



Mildew is a disease which frequently attacks the grape and the gooseberry, also the 

 peach, but the latter only to a limited extent. This disease is supposed to be due to the 

 growth of a very minute fungus. The best preventive of the disease is to keep the plants 

 in a healthy, thriving condition by giving them all the elements of plant growth that are 

 essential to this condition, with a sufficient amount of air and sunlight among the vines and 

 foliage, by planting far enough apart to secure this object, and by proper pruning. Potash is 

 supposed to be a necessary element of growth for the grape, and where this element is lack 

 ing in the soil, it should be supplied as a fertilizer in the form of wood ashes, or some other 

 material. It has been found by experiment, that where there was a lack of potash in the soil 

 this disease was more liable to prevail, but when a liberal amount was supplied, the disease 

 subsided. It is also apt to be more prevalent in some seasons than others; for instance, when 

 the weather is warm and moist; but some varieties are less subject to this disease than others, 

 being better able to withstand it. 



As soon as mildew appears, dust the vines with wood ashes and sulphur in equal 

 VOL. II. 46 



