AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 107 



year, but fail to find that the insect was seen on any of them after 

 leaving me either last year or this. I have never seen any grubs in 

 the ground except the large white grub that infests grass and straw- 

 berries. They are very numerous and I have about given up raising - 

 strawberries on account of them. There is hardly a green leaf on 

 my whole acre, neither are there any sprouts coming up. They seem 

 to be eaten off as soon as they break through the ground. They 

 appeared in large numbers as early as April 15th or 20th, and damaged 

 them so before I noticed them that I g-ot discouraged and have not 

 tried to do much with them. I put on about 30 bushels of wood ashes 

 to the acre, and think that it checked them one-half or more until 

 we had a rain when they seemed to be thicker than ever. They do not 

 jump, but the least touch of the bushes or in walking through them 

 talking or making much noise they will curl up and drop to the ground 

 as though they could see or hear. I noticed they began mating 

 about May first, but at this writing they have about all disappeared. 

 About your questions will say: 



First. They began mating about May 1st. I first noticed them 

 about April 15th or 20th. 



Second. I have never seen them jump and do not think they do. 



Third. I saw them first in the spring of 1S94, they were quite 

 plentiful and did much damage. 



Fourth. 1 have grown strawberries, but never saw them infested 

 with this insect. 



Fifth. I bought 100 plants from New York ten years ago, and 

 and have increased my patch from them. Have sold a great many 

 plants to different parties, but fail to "hear of them being infested 

 on any of them with one exception. 



Sixth. I have never noticed any white grubs about the roots. Anj" 

 further information that I can give you will be cheerfully given, as I 

 want to be prepared to fight them next spring. 



Yours truly, 



C. L. BKAY, 

 Hebron, Maine. 



Thinking it desirable to find out how widely this pest was distrib- 

 uted in the State, we put the folloAving- letter into the Bangor, Lewis- 

 ton and Augusta papers. 



Orono, Me., May 13, 1895. 



We desire to call attention through the columns of the Journal to 

 a small black beetle about one-eighth inch long- that is reported as 

 climbing' up raspberry canes and eating the opening buds. This is 

 one of the worst pests to the strawberry grower, and should not be 

 neglected. 



These beetles hybernate and come out early in the spring doing- 

 great damage to the flower buds. They soon mate and lay eggs for a 

 second brood. The grubs live in the roots of the plant and later 

 appear as beetles and in the summer devour the foliag'e. Those 

 killed now will prevent the increase. 



