NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 4I 



perceptible difference between the area treated in this manner and 

 unsprayed bushes, though the control could not be considered satis- 

 factory from a commercial standpoint. Another plot was examined 

 which had been sprayed at least twice with arsenate of lead and 

 then received a thorough application of strong kerosene emulsion ; 

 even in this case, though the latter treatment was recent, there were 

 a number of living beetles. 



A nearby grower had sprayed two days earlier with arsenate of 

 lead, 3 pounds to 50 gallons and black leaf 40, using i quart to 50 

 gallons of spray. Even this application, excessive in its nicotine 

 content, resulted in no satisfactory evidence of many beetles having 

 been killed, though some had presumably succumbed. This is not 

 surprising in view of the fact that many of the insects had the 

 anterior three- fourths of the body buried in buds or squeezed 

 between petals of opening flowers, while some were within the lat- 

 ter and sheltered to all practical purposes from any application 

 which could be made. 



An examination, May 24th, of the raspberry patch on the farm 

 of C. J. Hepworth showed only five to seven beetles to a hill in 

 the area sprayed four times with poison. The insects were mostly 

 in the opening blossoms. Mr Palmer stated that they were much 

 more abundant three days earlier in two other fields belonging to 

 Mr Hepworth. The pests were less numerous, there being but two 

 to four to a hill. Perfection was the variety most seriously affected 

 and as the patch is a very early one for that section, it is possible 

 that the beetles were unusually abundant at the time of the early 

 bloom and as a consequence the damage was much more serious 

 than if the field had been later. This theory was supported by 

 finding a field of the same variety on a higher elevation and some- 

 what grassy so that the development was a week later and although 

 seven to ten beetles were found to a hill and two to four or even 

 five in the unfolding leaves, practically none was attacking or bor- 

 ing into the blossom buds. Not many of the blossoms had opened 

 and there was very little injury to the fruit. The owner, Mr Kniffen, 

 seemed to think later pickings were more profitable than earlier 

 ones, probably because his field was somewhat later. On the other 

 hand, in the case of the very early field of Mr Hepworth's, the 

 greatest profit came from the earlier pickings. It would seem from 

 the above that the relative earliness of the field may be an important 

 factor in determining the amount of injury. 



A series of cage experiments were started in the office for the 

 purpose of determining the susceptibility of the beetles to poison. 



