148 



SMALL FKUIT CULTURIST. 



c.ines in summer, causing large excrescences or galls, check- 

 ing the flow of sap, and causing the death of the cane. 



The Snowy Tree-Cricket {CEcantlius niveiis), figure 64, 

 is another insect pest that appears to prefer the canes of 

 the Raspberry as a nidus for its eggs, to the twigs of other 

 shrubs and trees. It will, however, if there are no Rasp- 



are deposited in a close compact row, each egg placed at 

 a slight angle, and deep enough to reach the pith of the 

 cane or twig. This weakens the canes, and they are often 

 broken off by the wind. This breaking of the stems is 

 not a serious loss, but the perfect insect has the very bad 

 habit of cutting off the leaves of various plants in sum- 

 mer ; and sometimes extends its mischievous work from 

 Raspberry plants to Grape Vines, from which it cuts both 

 leaves and fruit ; working at night when perfectly safe 

 from observation. To get rid of the mature insect, I 

 advise gathering the egg-infested canes and twigs in win- 

 ter and early spring, and burning them. Of the insect 

 enemies of the Blackberry, the Bramble Flea-Louse {Psylla 

 triimnctata, Fitch; P. rz/J., Riley) has been, perhaps, 

 the most formidable of late years. The appearance of 

 this insect in our Blackberry plantations, in suflBcient 

 number to do any considerable damage, is quite recent, 

 probably Avithin the past ten years. It is a small in- 

 sect, and is quite closely allied to the Green Fly or Plant- 

 Louse {Aphis), but is distinguished from that by a differ- 

 ent veining of the wings, and by having knobbed antennas, 

 somewhat like those of the butterfly. These insects jump 

 as briskly as a flea, from which characteristic they derive 

 their scientific name. The presence of this pest in a 

 Blackberry plantation is readily detected by the leaves of 



Fig. 64. — SNOWY TREE-CRICKET. 



berry plants handy, de- 

 posit its eggs in the 

 Grape, AVillow, Peach, 

 and other kinds of trees. 

 Its long, slender eggs 



