252 CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 



Harris describes the color of the beetle as varying in 

 shades of blue. " The most common tint of the upper 

 side is a glossy, deep greenish-blue; the under side is 

 dark green ; and the antennas and feet are dull black. It 

 measures rather more than three-twentieths of an inch in 

 length. The beetles emerge from the ground about the 

 last of April, and continue to appear during the month 

 of May. Soon after their first appearance, they pair, and 

 probably lay their eggs on the leaves of the vine. A sec- 

 ond brood of the beetles is found on the grape-vines 

 towards the end of July." The larvae are small chestnut- 

 colored and blue worms, about one-quarter of an inch in 

 length, which feed upon, and are very destructive to, the 

 foliage of the vine, until they descend into the ground, 

 and undergo their transformations. 



The beetle appears so early in the season, that, in order 

 to find food, he is compelled to resort to boring the 

 grape-bud. This is the most serious injury which the 

 beetle effects; and it can be prevented by washing 

 the canes, especially the eyes, with a mixture of whitewash 

 and sulphur. After the vine is in leaf, and if seriously 

 infested, probably the beetle may be driven away by a 

 dusting of air-slacked lime. Tobacco-water will subse- 

 quently destroy the larvae, and it will probably have the 



