68 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 



finally decay and thus the root system of the vine is destroyed. The winter is passed 

 in a dormant condition on the roots. In spring there are five or six generations 

 of wingless females, all of which bear young without the intervention of males. In 

 July some winged females are produced which leave the roots and fly to other vines, 

 when each one lays a few eggs of two different sizes, from which are produced in about a 

 fortnight perfect males and females. These are born for no other purpose than repro- 

 duction and are without means of flight or of taking food. Each female lays one egg, 

 from which comes an egg- bearing, wingless female, thus beginning a new circle of exist- 

 ence. The winged females which are first seen in July continue to appear throughout 

 the season and are most abundant in August. 



Occasionally the underground form leaves the roots and produces galls on the leaves. 

 These are more abundant in some seasons than in others, as during the past summer — 

 but the Grape Phylloxera cannot from past experience be considered a serious pest in 

 Canada, although at rare intervals there has been a loss of many vines in some vineyards 

 which have been badly infested. The only remedy which has been adopted in this country 

 has been the destruction of badly infested vines or the removal of gall-bearing leaves 

 from those which are less severely attacked. 



Another insect which has been locally troublesome on grape vines in western 

 Ontario is the Grape Thrip {Erythroneura vitis, auct.). Mr. Woolverton thinks that it 

 is increasing steadily year by year. It has been treated effectively by spraying vines care- 

 fully with kerosene emulsion before the young of the first brood acquire their wings. 



The two broods of the Strawberry Leaf-roller (Phoxopteris comptana, Frol.) Fig. 69, 

 did considerable injury to strawberry beds around Picton, Prince Edward County, in 



June last and in the antumn. Luckily for 

 Canadian growers of small fruits it is a rather 

 rare occurence for this insect to be sufficiently 

 abundant to attract notice,' but in some of 

 the northern United States it is considered 

 the most destructive of the enemies of the 

 strawberry grower. The caterpillars were 

 found on the strawberry plants towards the 

 FlG - 69 - end of June and were not noticed until they 



had injured one field of four acres sufficiently to give the plants the appearance of being 

 attacked by a severe blight or as if fire had been over them. The caterpillars when fall 

 grown are about one-third of an inch long and vary in colour from yellowish-brown to 

 dark-brown or green. They fold the leaves of the strawberry by drawing the upper sur- 

 faces together and fastening them with strands of silk. They then eat away all the green 

 inner surface of the leaves, giving the beds a brown and seared appearance. 



Mr. John Craig, of the Central Experimental Farm, who visited some of the Picton 

 plantations on the 4th of July last, found that many of the caterpillars were full grown 

 and ready to pupate ; others, however, were small and would not turn to chrysalids for cer- 

 tainly a week or two later. Moths emerged at Ottawa from infested leaves sent from Pic- 

 ton between July 15 and 25, a period which would probably be extended at any rate till the 

 end of the month in the fields. Eggs laid by this brood of moths produced caterpillars 

 which again attacked strawberry beds severely at Picton in the autumn. As a remedy 

 for this insect it has been recommended to mow off and burn the leaves of infested beds 

 directly after the fruit is picked. The leaves containing the caterpillars or chrysalids, 

 would soon dry up and would burn easily. That cutting off the leaves at this season 

 can be done without injury to the plants has been proved by Mr. Craig in some experi- 

 ments for controlling the strawberry rust. (See Experimental Farm Report, 1895, p. 

 113). It must be done of course before the moths begin to emerge. The second brood 

 can be treated much more easily. When beds are known to have been infested by the 

 spring brood, the plants must be sprayed or dusted with Paris green during August, so 

 that the young caterpillars may be destroyed as soon as they hatch. Should the injuries 

 be noticed only late in the season when the caterpillars are well grown, burning the foli- 



