20 



into a yard after two or three years, gradually increase, and in eight or ten years spoil 

 the yard." Other growers contend that only the yards of the ignorant and shiftless are 

 ever damaged to any extent hy the horer. 



I shall not attempt to give a description of the larva here, further than to say that 

 all correspondents agree in the statement that it is an inch and a quarter to an inch and 

 a half in length, and three- sixteenths to one-fourth inch in diameter at maturity, whitish 

 or light gray in colour with a dark head. 



As soon as the vines start from the ground in May and June, and when but a few 

 inches high, the mother insect begins the attack by depositing her eggs upon them. 

 The subsequent injury is thus described by Mr. Pierpont, a large grower of Ontario 

 County : — 



" The warm sun hatching the egg deposited in the head of the hop vine, soon after 

 it is out of the ground, it soon becomes a lively worm about one-fourth of an inch in 

 length, subsisting upon the sap of the 'vine. It leaves the head of the vine soon after 

 hatching, enters the ground, bores to the centre of the vine and works up an inch or 

 two, finally locating where the vine starts from the crown, eating at this point and at 

 the crown until the vine is nearly or quite destroyed, and the crown weakened by water 

 getting in, causing decay, and finally the destruction of the entire hill." 



Another report states that the insect begins work in the latter part of June by eating 

 into the tender vines where they start from the old crown or bed root ; and unless pre- 

 vented, will eat the vine entirely off, thus destroying the crop ; " many times they 

 poison the root so that the whole hill dies." Old yards die from this cause more than 

 any other, as the borer prevails more in old than in newer ones. 



Another grower states that the damage commences about the last of May or first of 

 June, when " the head of the vine will appear slightly bent or curved, if compared with 

 sound ones. The grub, after feeding a little time in the heart of the head drops to the 

 ground and makes its way into the heart of the vine below the surface of the ground, 

 working deeper as it grows larger. The vine wilts and finally dies." 



There is great diversity of opinion among growers as to the best means of ridding a 

 yard of these pests. A few take for granted that there is no remedy, leaving skunks to 

 carry on the warfare alone ; and right here it may be stated that growers east and west 

 speak most favourably of the friendly offices of this much despised animal in the hop 

 yard. Salt is mentioned by many growers as a remedy. It is put on after the vine has 

 become somewhat toughened, from middle to last of June, salt on the tender new stalks 

 killing them in a short time. Lime, ashes, sulphur, etc., are also recommended, but 

 doubtless do little real good. Some growers emulate the skunks by digging out the 

 grubs, often doing more damage than the pests themselves. 



Mr. Pierpont says an experienced tyer of hops can tell at a glance the head contain- 

 ing a worm, which is crushed in an instant, but this process can only be practiced for a 

 few days, as the worms leave the head soon after hatching. Next to the crushing 

 process a useful remedy is to hill the hops as soon as possible and give the yard thorough 

 cultivation. The hilling causes fibrous roots to put out above the operations of the 

 grub and save to some extent the crop. 



The most detailed statement of experience, and it seems to me the best remedial 

 agency or means of prevention, is furnished by Mr. J. F. Clark, a grower of Otsego 

 county, New York, who writes as follows : 



When the vines are well up the poles, and at the first hoeing about the last of May 

 or first of June, the dirt should be carefully worked away from the vine by the hoe ; 

 all the dirt remaining between the vines must be carefully worked out with a sharpened 

 stick, so that all the vines will be left bare as low down as where they leave the bed 

 root ; thus they become toughened by the weather, and are not so attractive to the 

 grub. Immediately after this operation, a good handful of the following compost should 

 be applied directly around the root and vine : Take equal parts of salt, quicklime and 

 hen-manure ; place the lime on the floor first, and throw on water enough to thoroughly 

 slack it ; immediately spread the salt on top, following with the hen-manure. When 

 the lime is well slacked, mix the whole thoroughly, and in a couple of weeks it will be 

 ready for use, as above. Do not hill up the hops until the latter part of July or first of 



