350 BOAKD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



iiients, if possible. These fruits settle so badly in transpor- 

 tation that they appear at a great disadvantage at the end of 

 a long journey. 



Enemies. 



The brambles are subject to attacks from many enemies. 

 One which often proves troublesome upon blackberries is 

 the bramble flea louse, known as the "mistletoe disease" in 

 some localities. This is a small plant louse, which attacks 

 the tips of the growing shoots in large numbers, causing 

 both the cane and the leaves to curl u}), forming a knotted 

 mass of foliage. The insects themselves are so well pro- 

 tected l)y this al)normal growth that they cannot be readily 

 reached with any insecticide. About the only remedy con- 

 sists in cutting ofi" and burning these deformed tips. 



Several cane-borers attack these })lants, some working at 

 the crown, others in the canes about. They, too, can only 

 be controlled by destroyino; the canes before the insects 

 have emerged, thus preventing their future nuilti plication. 

 Where rose chafers are numerous, they often become a 

 troublesome pest, and one which it is very hard to control. 

 Thorough spraying with Bordeaux mixture and arsenate of 

 lead will destroy many of them, but they are likely to ap- 

 pear at a season when it will be imi)racticable to use this 

 preparation. Perha})S the l)est that can be done is t(^ avoid 

 their breeding jdaces in the location of bush-fruit planta- 

 tions. Sandy lands Avhich are known to be infested should 

 be avoided. 



The strawberry weevil is a })est very common on wild 

 blackljcrries. Its injury is done ])y cutting oil' the young 

 fruit buds before they open. In a count made of a number 

 of clusters of wild blackberries one season, more than half of 

 the buds had been thus destroyed by this insect. Practically 

 nothing can be done to prevent its ravages. It is not likely 

 that it eats enough in doing this work to be seriously 

 checked by poisons. Its purpose in this operation is to hold 

 the pollen of the unopened bud in a condition to afford food 

 for its offspring, since the young larva feeds upon pollen. 

 Thus far we have not ex|)erienced serious loss u))on culti- 

 vated plants from these insects, perhaps ))ecause they have 



