60 Hops.- 



which are attacked in turn, and the process is repeated again 

 and again, the result being the formation of so-called " witch 

 brooms ". This pest carries on its work of destruction from 

 spring until autumn. To get rid of the insects, Kirchner 

 recommends beating them off on to tarred sheets ; the work 

 must, however, be performed early in the morning while they 

 are still numb. Similar damage is done by Phytocoris. As 

 the bugs occasionally dwell in cracks on the poles, the latter 

 must be carefully rid of them before use, preferably by being 

 passed slowly through the flame of a fire, or brushed over 

 with petroleum. 



14. Of rare occurrence, and therefore causing but little 

 damage, are the dwarf cicadse, Jassus sexnotatus and Tettigonia 

 humuli, which feed on the sap. 



15. Sciaphila Wahlbomiana v. virgaureana. This pest has 

 been noticed of late years at Memmingen (Swabia). The 

 greyish green or black larvae, which are about \ inch long, 

 spin a sort of sheath around the leaves on the young shoot 

 just emerging from the ground, and, ensconced therein, feed 

 on and retard the growth of the juicy shoot. Stocks affected 

 in this manner have been found to have a yellowish and 

 sickly look, and did not exceed 4 to 6 inches in height on 

 the 17th May, whilst healthy stocks were already 40 to 60 

 inches above ground. Both poled and wired gardens were 

 attacked. Despite the favourable influence of the weather 

 during the latter part of the month, the crop on the affected 

 plants amounted to only about one quarter of the quantity 

 yielded by the others, many of the shoots having finally died. 

 Greater damage was prevented by stripping and crushing 

 the caterpillars in their webs. . The pupal stage is generally 

 reached by the end of May, and the butterflies make their 

 escape in the early part of June.^ 



* Prank and Sorauer, Jahresbericht des Sonderausschusses filr Pflamen- 

 schutz, 1895. 



