146 THE HOP. 



other washes) sprayed on a dull day, when the bugs are 

 less active; they are best treated during the wingless 

 stage early in the season. 



Prof. Jno. B. Smith lays as much stress now upon 

 ladybirds for destroying hop lice as in 1887, when he 

 first called attention to them and their larvae known 

 as "niggers." 



"Three species are found in abundance on hop vines. 

 The most numerous is the two-spotted ladybird (Adalia 

 Wpunctata), a small red species, with two black spots on the 

 wing covers. Next comes the nine-spotted ladybird (Cocci- 

 nellu S-nolata), a larger species, with nine black spots on its 

 yellowish-red wing covers, and least numerous of all is the 

 twice-stabbed ladybird (Chilocorus bivulncrus), smaller than 

 either, entirely black, except two blood-red spots on the 

 wing covers. The larvae of these species are all very much 

 alike, and of an elongated, flat form, tapering toward the 

 tip, with six legs; of a grayish-black color, spotted and 

 marked with red or yellow. They are very active and very 

 rapacious, feeding almost continually, and each larva 

 destroys many lice before attaining maturity. When full- 

 grown, they attach themselves by the tail to a leaf, curl up 

 into a round pellet, and in a few days transform into the per- 

 fect beetle, which also feeds on the aphis, but is not so 

 voracious as the larva. There are several broods of the 

 insect in the season, the last transforming into the perfect 

 insect about the middle or toward the end of September. 



"The beetles hibernate in crevices of fences, under bark of 

 trees, or stones, or wherever else they can find shelter, and 

 reappear in spring to continue the work where they left off 

 the year -before. Were it possible to preserve a sufficient 

 number of these insects through the winter, so that a goodly 

 number of them would be on hand in early spring, the lice 

 would never become numerous enough to do injury; as it is, 

 but few survive the winter, and before they become numer- 

 ous the lice, propagating more rapidly, become so plentiful that 

 they are beyond control. But, seriously, there is no reason 

 why these coccinellids cannot be wintered. They become 

 very numerous in fall, and several hundreds of them could 

 be collected without difficulty, put into a large box with 

 plenty of loose rubbish, and kept in some cool place not 

 exposed to the fiercest cold, nor yet so warm as to cause 

 them to become active a barn or cellar would answer. The 

 box should be covered so as to prevent the entrance of spi- 

 ders ; which would feed on them. In spring, the box could be 

 ._ placed in the open air, and the insects would then scatter 

 through the yards in search of suitable places to deposit eggs. 

 I firmly believe that this could be done without much 



