﻿PACKARD.] 
  

  

  THE 
  STRAWBERRY 
  CROWN-BORER. 
  

  

  801 
  

  

  Jucunda, 
  Pineapple, 
  Early 
  Scarlet, 
  and 
  Brooklyn 
  Scarlet. 
  While 
  the 
  

   Wilson 
  stood 
  second 
  to 
  none 
  of 
  these 
  as 
  a 
  prolific 
  fruit-bearer, 
  yet 
  it 
  fell 
  

   behind 
  them 
  in 
  vigorous 
  plant-growth. 
  Hence, 
  while 
  every 
  kind 
  was 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  affected, 
  the 
  other 
  varieties 
  seemed 
  saved 
  by 
  their 
  own 
  

   growth 
  and 
  energy 
  from 
  a 
  destruction 
  so 
  thorough 
  as 
  was 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  

   Wilson. 
  These 
  patches 
  were 
  all 
  planted 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  and 
  all 
  received 
  

   the 
  same 
  treatment, 
  the 
  ground 
  being 
  kept 
  open 
  and 
  free 
  from 
  weeds. 
  

   The 
  amount 
  of 
  the 
  spring-planting 
  was 
  seven 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  acres. 
  Of 
  the 
  

   Wilsons 
  there 
  were 
  three 
  different 
  patches 
  in 
  places 
  quite 
  separated 
  from 
  

   each 
  other, 
  and 
  on 
  not 
  less 
  than 
  five 
  different 
  kinds 
  of 
  soil. 
  These 
  

   patches 
  were 
  among 
  and 
  contiguous 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  varieties. 
  

   While 
  all 
  suffered 
  more 
  or 
  less, 
  the 
  chief 
  injury 
  befell 
  the 
  Wilsons, 
  of 
  

   which 
  not 
  less 
  than 
  two 
  acres 
  were 
  irretrievably 
  rained. 
  An 
  examina- 
  

   tion 
  turned 
  up 
  the 
  depredator, 
  who 
  was 
  none 
  other 
  than 
  the 
  larva 
  of 
  

   the 
  goldsmith 
  beetle, 
  now 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  one 
  of 
  its 
  allotted 
  three- 
  

   summer 
  campaigns 
  of 
  mischief. 
  These 
  grubs 
  were 
  from 
  the 
  eggs 
  de- 
  

   posited 
  in 
  June 
  in 
  the 
  well-tilled 
  and 
  clean 
  soil, 
  which, 
  I 
  have 
  said 
  else- 
  

   where, 
  I 
  thought 
  the 
  Cotalpa 
  preferred 
  to 
  meadow 
  or 
  grass 
  lands. 
  

   Compared 
  with 
  others, 
  the 
  larva 
  of 
  this 
  beetle 
  is 
  sluggish 
  and 
  easily 
  

   captured. 
  The 
  black 
  grub 
  of 
  the 
  spring, 
  which 
  is 
  such 
  a 
  pest, 
  attacking 
  

   almost 
  indiscriminately 
  the 
  early 
  tender 
  plants, 
  inflicts 
  its 
  iojuries 
  chiefly 
  

   in 
  the 
  night, 
  the 
  exception 
  being 
  that 
  of 
  dull 
  and 
  cloudy 
  days. 
  The 
  

   night's 
  mischief 
  done, 
  it 
  descends 
  into 
  concealment 
  at 
  early 
  dawn. 
  Know- 
  

   ing 
  this, 
  the 
  wise 
  farmer 
  is 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  it 
  at 
  an 
  early 
  hour, 
  ere 
  the 
  warmth 
  

   of 
  the 
  sun 
  gives 
  it 
  warning 
  to 
  retreat. 
  Bat 
  the 
  goldsmith 
  grub 
  can 
  be 
  

   taken 
  at 
  any 
  hour 
  of 
  the 
  day 
  simply 
  by 
  scratching 
  away 
  the 
  earth 
  from 
  

   around 
  the 
  roots 
  of 
  those 
  plants 
  whose 
  dark, 
  shriveled 
  leaves 
  tell 
  of 
  

   the 
  enemy's 
  presence. 
  It 
  is 
  my 
  belief 
  that 
  this 
  devastation 
  might 
  have 
  

   been 
  spared 
  by 
  an 
  outlay 
  of 
  from 
  $20 
  to 
  $30 
  for 
  labor, 
  much 
  of 
  which, 
  

   under 
  proper 
  direction, 
  could 
  have 
  been 
  done 
  by 
  children. 
  Therein 
  

   would 
  have 
  been 
  saved 
  a 
  srrawberry-crop 
  for 
  the 
  ensuing 
  summer, 
  worth 
  

   scarcely 
  less 
  than 
  $2,500, 
  for 
  from 
  this 
  same 
  farm 
  the 
  crop 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  

   acre 
  has 
  been 
  sold 
  for 
  $1,500. 
  Then, 
  however 
  valuable 
  such 
  labors 
  are 
  

   in 
  the 
  immediate 
  results, 
  that 
  is 
  but 
  a 
  fraction 
  of 
  their 
  worth 
  as 
  respects 
  

   the 
  future. 
  These 
  Cotulpa 
  grubs, 
  with 
  all 
  their 
  mischief, 
  had 
  not 
  more 
  

   than 
  a 
  third 
  of 
  their 
  ultimate 
  size 
  ; 
  hence 
  their 
  real 
  ravenousness 
  is 
  yet 
  

   to 
  come. 
  Besides, 
  what 
  a 
  prospect 
  of 
  increase 
  of 
  numbers, 
  should 
  even 
  

   a 
  moderate 
  share 
  of 
  them 
  reach 
  maturity 
  ! 
  Why 
  should 
  not 
  our 
  farmers 
  

   seek 
  to 
  know 
  something 
  about 
  their 
  insect 
  enemies, 
  and, 
  when 
  practica- 
  

   ble, 
  put 
  forth 
  some 
  energy 
  to 
  meet 
  such 
  V 
  " 
  

  

  The 
  Strawberry 
  Crown-Borer, 
  Analcis 
  fragarice 
  Riley. 
  — 
  Boring 
  from 
  the 
  crown 
  

   of 
  the 
  plant 
  down 
  into 
  and 
  killing 
  it 
  ; 
  a 
  small, 
  soft, 
  fleshy 
  grab, 
  transforming 
  to 
  a 
  

   weevil. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  June 
  until 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  July 
  in 
  Southern 
  Illinois, 
  

   the 
  grub 
  hatches 
  from 
  an 
  egg, 
  sup- 
  

   posed 
  to 
  be 
  deposited 
  by 
  the 
  parent 
  

   weevil 
  in 
  the 
  crown 
  of 
  the 
  plant, 
  

   and 
  bores 
  downward 
  into 
  the 
  pith, 
  

   where 
  it 
  remains 
  until 
  fully 
  grown, 
  

   " 
  working 
  in 
  the 
  thick, 
  bulbous 
  root, 
  

   and 
  often 
  eating 
  through 
  the 
  more 
  

   woody 
  portions; 
  so 
  that 
  when 
  frost 
  

   sets 
  in, 
  the 
  plant 
  easily 
  breaks 
  off 
  

  

  and 
  is 
  heaved 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  ground." 
  — 
  Fig. 
  66.— 
  Strawberry 
  Crown 
  -Borer 
  and 
  

   (Eiley.) 
  A 
  remedy 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  ^^^^^^- 
  (After 
  Riley.) 
  

  

  apply, 
  but 
  infested 
  plants 
  should 
  be 
  burned. 
  

   51 
  G 
  s 
  

  

  