Notes and Gleanings. 373 



the level of standing water ; and wben they can do this, it will not hurt the tree^ 

 though the tap roots are immersed in water for half the year." 



The Grape Leaf Gall Louse. — We have received from our friend D. R. 

 Wier, of Lacon, 111., the following note concerning this insect, from which it 

 appears that the mischief done by it is far greater than is commonly supposed, 

 and we publish it, that the investigations which he suggests may be made : — 



" Are you Boston men lousy ? Our grape vines are. My friend Riley, ento- 

 mologist of Missouri, has discovered the most astounding fact — and personal 

 investigation proves it to me — that the reason why certain varieties of the grape 

 vines, and especially the foreign, do not thrive, is owing to the universal preva- 

 lence of the vine root louse {Phyllo'xera of the vine it is called, I believe), the 

 same thing that forms galls on the leaves of the Clinton grape. The things 

 (facts) are perfectly astounding. It is the same thing that spread from this 

 country to Europe, and devastated the vineyards there. None but the most 

 robust of our native vines can withstand it. This clears up many mysteries in 

 grape culture. It has sent the Catawba under. Of course, like other things, it 

 is worse in certain soils and locaHties, but Riley says that here there is less of it 

 than anywhere else he has examined ; but here I cannot find a vine, feral or cul- 

 tivated, but what has these things, to a greater or lesser extent, feeding on its 

 terminal roots, pumping out the nutrition the vine has stored up in them for next 

 year's growth. It would be well to investigate this thing in your neighborhood. 

 Wherever the rootlets of a vine are knotty and swollen, there are the lice easily 

 seen with a common lens. The foreign grape would certainly thrive here if it 

 could be kept free of these lice." 



Marengo Crabs. — Messrs. C. Andrews and Herendeen and Jones have sent 

 us specimens of " Marengo Siberian Apples," No. 4 (synonyme Marengo Crab). 

 They remark in the note accompanying them that " the whole group of Marengo 

 Siberians, four in number, are similar to these, differing only in season, the latest 

 keeping through the whole winter and spring. We think you will agree with us 

 that a group of new fruits, like these, very productive, and thoroughly hardy in 

 high latitudes, must be a valuable addition to American fruits." 



These apples are of medium size for a crab, and, like most crabs, very pretty, 

 and certainly of remarkably delicate flavor, and free from the harshness of the 

 ordinary crabs. The skin is very thin and delicate. Still, all other things being 

 equal, we must prefer a good-sized apple to so small ones, and hence we must 

 repeat what we have said on a former occasion, that while we should certainly 

 plant these crabs in a climate so cold that we could not raise the larger apples, 

 we cannot advise planting them where the larger kinds can be grown. We have 

 not tested them for cooking, canning, and drying, for which purposes they are 

 claimed to be superior, but the general preference of a large fruit is even stronger 

 for these purposes than for dessert, and justly so. Nor can we believe that their 

 superiority to the Lady apple is such that they will supersede that kind, as is 

 claimed. A single variety of the character of the Lady is sufficient, and it will 

 be difficult to eject this one from the place which it has so long held. 



