LEAFHOPPERS OF MAINE. 85 



Burning is a most effective method of treatment for many 

 species if the character of the crop permits. It is especially 

 aipplicable to grass lands wihich are in condition to be burned 

 over in late faM or early spring as at such times not only the 

 eggs ocourring in grass leaves but any hiibernating forms are 

 pretty certain to be reached. Observations by Mr. Woods on 

 the burned over tracts of blueberry indicate quite strongly that 

 the method serves a very excellent purpo^se in reducing the 

 numlbers of tihese insects as well as in olther benefits to the 

 croip. A further study of tihis matter however is needed to 

 establish the extent and duration of the effect for this par- 

 ticular crop. 



Spraying — In soime instances 'the use of sprays may be re- 

 sorted to 'but the effect oif such treatment has not been thor- 

 oughly tested as yet. Witih 'modern machinery for spraying 

 it is entirely possible to cover pastures or meadows of ordi- 

 nary size w'iitjh a sipray of kerosene emulsion or other insecticides 

 and if saidh an application is made early in the season, at the 

 timie to catch the ibullk of the newly hatched larvae, the result 

 should be of grealt advantage. For this purpose a machine 

 with a spread of ten or fifteen feet including a number of 

 nozzles capable of giving a broad-cast spray, accompanied by 

 some device for disturibing the hoppers so that tihey will jump 

 froim the grass and be wet by the spray, should be most effec- 

 tive. Experiments with this method are desirable in order to 

 determine the 'most eff'ective arrangement of madhinery and 

 the expense involved. 



The hopper dozer method consists in the use of a strip of 

 siheet iron, ten or fifteen feet in length, coated with coal tar 

 drawn over the surface of the grass land with about the rate 

 of a rapid 'walk. Its operation depends on the fact that the 

 hoppers when disturbed jump up a few inches from the grass 

 andl this means that tbey will usually fall back upon the tar 

 surface, and be caugtht. In some exiperiments O'f this kind 

 leaf hoppers were caught at the rate of over ihalf a million to 

 the acre. And while somiC individuals escape it is believed that 

 a large portion may be cau'ght by this method. Various ar- 

 /rangements of the sticky surface may be used and tree tangle- 

 foot would doubtless be as effective as coal tar 



