50 



Herbemont have shown tliern to be free, or almost free from the sub- 

 terranean form of the pest. Such old vines of the above and other 

 delicate varieties of the fruit as had been suffered to remain in some of 

 the vineyards around Kirkwood, have, for the last two years, renewed 

 their vigor and borne good crops. 



Flea-beetles gave very little trouble where gardeners had been care- 

 ful, during previous seasons, to eradicate such weeds as Lepidium and 

 Arabis from the neighborhood of their vegetable beds, since it is in the 

 leaves of these that Phyllotreta sinuata Steph., with us by far the most 

 abundant and destructive species, chiefly breeds. 



The Cabbage Curculio (Geutorhynehus rapw Gyll.) occasions much 

 loss and annoyance to market gardeners in some parts of the State, by 

 boring into the crown and roots of young cabbage and cauliflower 

 plants, in many cases destroying 25 per cent of the plants in the hot- 

 beds and just after they are set out, As this insect does not trouble 

 the plants after the heads begin toform, I was at a loss to conjecture 

 what became of it during the summer and autumn, From experiments 

 conducted this year I am convinced that it returns to its original food 

 plant, the wild Pepper-grass (Lepidium virginicum). I succeeded in 

 obtaining young larvae in stems of the latter plant in July, but as the 

 plants did not thrive indoors I was unable to bring the insect through 

 its transformations. 



Disonycha collaris is establishing its title as a spinach pest, its perfo- 

 rations being seen during April and May in almost every leaf of that 

 highly esteemed potherb. As both beetles and larvae drop to the 

 ground upon the slightest disturbance of their food-plant they are sel- 

 dom associated with their destructive work. 



The foliage of roses in Kirkwood and vicinity suffered this summer 

 from the attacks of all three of the species of sawfly larvae described in 

 vol. v, Insect Life (p. G), Cladius peetinicornis being very numerous and 

 reducing the leaflets on some bushes to mere shreds. An infusion of 

 white hellebore proved an effective remedy, but the necessity of apply- 

 ing it at intervals throughout the season adds materially to the labors 

 of the rose-grower. 



The Twelve-spotted Diabrotica appeared in countless numbers in 

 flower gardens during September and October, and wrought ruin on 

 the blossoms of dahlias, zinias, cosmos, and early chrysanthemums. 

 To kill it on the flowers, or render them distasteful to it, involves 

 the sacrifice of all the beauty of the latter, by spraying with the 

 arsenites or kerosene emulsions. Where the insect breeds in such 

 swarms I have not been able to discover. Certainly it was not in any 

 of the corn fields around Kirkwood, for I uprooted a large number of 

 plants in the immediate neighborhood of our flower garden without 

 finding any trace of larvae or pupae. I think its native and favorite 

 food-plant remains to be discovered. Another unmanageable pest, of 

 which there is complaint is the the Corn Ear- worm (Heliothis armiger). 



