] 



OF THE FARM AKD GAEDEl^. 243 



peatedly shaken from such sheets into vessels containing 

 liquid, the beetles will of course soon escape. 



The wonderful efficacy of kerosene in destroying insect 

 life has long been known. It was used with excellent ef- 

 fect in shallow tin pans, or on stretched sheets of cloth, 

 for the destructiye locust of the West. 



Mr. I. 0. Howard, Assistant Entomologist to the De- 

 partment of Agriculture, employed it successfully on 

 sheets against the Grape-vine Flea-beetle, finding it so 

 satisfactory that he did not hesitate to recommend it in 

 the following terms : 



^^Take two pieces of common cotton sheeting, each 

 being two yards long and half as wide; fasten sticks across 

 the ends of each piece to keep the cloth open, and then 

 di'ench with kerosene. Give the sheets thus prepared to 

 two persons, each haying hold of the rods at the opposite 

 ends of the sheets. Then let these persons pass one sheet 

 on either side of the vine, being careful to unite the cloth 

 around the base of the vine; then let a third person give 

 the stake to which tlie vine is attached a sharp blow with 

 a heavy stick. Such a blow will in nearly every case jar 

 the beetles into the sheets, where the kerosene kills them 

 almost instantly. 



This process, after a little experience, can be per- 

 formed almost as rapidly as the persons employed can 

 walk from one vine to another. The expense necessary 

 is very trifling, and boys can do the work quite as well 

 as men. Warm bright afternoons are the proper times 

 for this work to be done, and it should be performed 

 faithfully every sunny day until the vines are out of dan- 

 ger." 



Until something is discovered, which, blown or 

 syringed on the buds, will keep off the beetles, this 

 method of Mr. Howard's of dealing with the insect, will 

 remain the best yet known. 



I 



