5" 



eggs in clusters of a dozen to about thirty, on the underside of the 

 leaves, feeding and occasionally depositing eggs in this way for sev- 

 eral weeks. The grubs which hatch from the eggs feed on the 

 leaves, but leave the upper surface entire, and become full grown in 

 from fifteen to twenty days. They then go to the trunk, and most 

 of them crawl to the lower part or to the ground at the foot of the 

 tree, where they change to the adult beetles, about a week being re- 

 quired for this purpose. 



In most seasons these beetles pass the winter before laying the 

 eggs for the next generation, but in some cases a new brood, which 

 feeds during the late summer, is met with. Fortunately, this is not 

 usually the case in Massachusetts. 



I'o keep this pest in check, spraying the trees thoroughly with 

 arsenate of lead when the adult beetles appear on them in spring is 

 the best treatment, followed by a second spraying when the grubs 

 hatch — about the tenth of June would be an average date for this 

 state, — spraying upward as much as possible to place the poison on 

 the underside of the leaf where the grubs feed. Unfortunately, 

 financial considerations usually prevent two treatments of this kind, 

 and the usual practice is to omit the first spraying and begin the 

 other about the first of June. Later, when feeding has ended and 

 the grubs and pupas are on the trunk and on the ground at the foot 

 of the tree, spraying these with kerosene emulsion, or treating (not 

 spraying) with hot water, will destroy them, though if the tree be 

 young and with thin bark, the hot water may injure the tree, and the 

 emulsion should be used in such cases. Treating the insects on the 

 trunk and ground, of course, does not help the tree any at the time, 

 as the injury has all been done, but it will at least reduce the num- 

 ber of insects which would attack the tree later. Sticky bands around 

 the trunks are almost worthless against this insect. 



