1871 



THE WESTERN POMOLOGIST. 



85 



spring, when they send forth flies again, (thus per- 

 petuating their species from year to year,) just in 

 time to deposit a new supply of eggs on the crop of 

 small onions. 



We shall take up the foreign Onion-fly in tlie 

 next number. 



Grape Vine Flea-Bectle. 



When the warm days of spring time come this 

 little grape vine pest will come out from its hiber- 

 nating places, and commence its W(U'k of destruction 

 on the unopened bud.s, bj' scooping them out as 

 neatlj' as the carver of wood could do with a goug«. 

 It is at this time this insect does its greatest harm, 

 and as it makes its hiding places in the cracks of 

 stakes, and under the loose bark of the vines, and in 

 the rubbish in the vineyard, would it not be well to 

 take advantage of it by whitewashing the stakes, 

 and raking up all rubbish and removing it to a con- 

 venient place and burning it up? 



This insect is known among entomologists b}' the 

 name given it by Prof Illiger, as Ilaltica ehalybeii, 

 and is often called Steel-blue Beetle — sometimes 

 "Thrips." Neither of these two latter names are 

 sulfflcieutly characteristic — lience they should never 

 be used. Its colors vary from steel-blue to metallic 

 green and purple. 



The full grown beetle is about one-eighth of an 

 inch long, and very active and lively in warm 

 weather. In cold weather it is sluggish — torpid. 

 As soon as the leaves be^in to open it quits feeding 

 on the buds and feeds on the leaves, where it also 

 deposits its orange colored eggs in small clusters. 

 Soon these eggs hatch into dark colored worms 

 (larvae) and are found on the upper surface of the 

 leaves the last of May and first of June. Here they 

 feed about one month and then go down to the 

 ground and bury themselves, forming small egg- 

 shaped cells, fi'om which in a little while longer 

 they come out perfect Beetles, and feed the remain- 

 der of the season on the leaves. But one generation 

 of them is bred each j'ear. 



In all localities where the Alder {Alimn arulata), 

 and wild grape vines grow, this insect is found. It 

 is said to be very general throughout the United 

 States and Canadas. The work of this insect is wit- 

 nessed on the grape vines in many parts of the 

 Northwest, more or less every season, by the nu- 

 merous holes eaten through the leaves, which s me- 

 times amounts to almost a total destruction of the 

 leaves, if we except the larger leaf-ribs. 



To sprinkle, or rather dust the plants with quick- 

 lime, while the dew is on, is said to effectually 

 destroy the larvK. 



The Floweh Tn.\DE. — The Horticulturist says 

 that the whole amount of flowers sold in one year in 

 New York citj' is nearly one million dollars' worth. 

 Over one-seventh, or |"l50,000 worth, are sold dur- 

 ing the Christmas holidays. 



m &tsUtn §0maIojjist, 



THE BANDAGED 

 TREE. 



Heading off" «I»c Canker Worm and tlie Apple 

 Tree Borer. 



Among all the insect marauders that prey upon 

 the orchard, the Canker worm is the most persistent 

 and destructive. It is said to 

 have made its first appearance 

 in this country near the close 

 of the last century. For many 

 years its prevalence appears 

 to have been confined to the 

 New England States, but for 

 the last twenty-five or thirty 

 years it has been slowly 

 working its way westward, 

 until now it has become gen- 

 erally known in this part of 

 the country. In dealing with 

 this pestiferous customer, ex- 

 perience has fully demonstrated that the old adao-e 

 "An ounce of preventive," &c., holds good to the 

 letter. It is no easy matter to destroy the worms 

 or even to check their operations. The best course 

 of warfare to pursue is, to prevent their getting 

 possession of the tree, which may be most effectually 

 done by preventing the ascension of the female 

 moth. 



The moths come forth from the ground very early 

 — in this latitude about the first of March, according 

 to the season — and continue to ri.9e for three or four 

 weeks. The wingless female instinctively makes 

 her way to the trunk of the tree, and reaches the 

 top by crawling up while the winged male ascends 

 by flight, where they meet and pair. Soon after 

 the female deposits her eggs, which, when the buds 

 open, begin to hatch. The worms feed voraciously 

 upon the foliage, and not unfrequently take the ten- 

 der fruit with it. Now, keep the female moths from 

 ascending the trees and there will be no worms, and 

 it may be done with very little labor, or expense 

 otherwise. 



FEMALE. MALE. 



The male and female moths bear no conlrast in 

 appearance. The male is a slender-bodied, delicate 

 graj' moth with silky wings, while the female is 

 wingless, with a much larger body, as shown in the 

 illustrations. 



Encircle the trunk of the tree with a bandage 



