48 



The Clinton, Delawar e, and other thin-leaved varieties, suffer more from the attacks 

 of these insects, than the thick, leathery4eaved sorts. Concord is almost exempt, but we 

 have known the Isabella to be much damaged. The Thrips are widely distributed, but 

 vary much in numbers from year to year. If abundant in a particular locality one season, 

 we cannot be at all certain that they will be equally or more plentiful the following year. 

 Their natural increase is so interfered with by various unfavorable climatic and other 

 influences, that we cannot prognosticate in this matter with any degree of certainty Mr. 

 J. Pettit informs us that, three years ago, he saw many vines in the vineyard of Mr. W. 

 W. Kitchen, of Grimsby, completely stript of their leaves by this pest, but they do not 

 appear to have occurred in such numbers since. Mr. W. H. Mills, of Hamilton, has found 

 them very common and troublesome in his garden for years past,, and the Rev. R Burnett, 

 of the same place, says they are the only determined enemy the grape has in his locality. 

 This season they prevailed in some vineyards to such an extent that the injury done the 

 leaves seriously affected the growth of the fruit ; as far as his memory serves him, he 

 has always had more or less Thrips. 



Mr. James Dougall, of Windsor, states that the Thrips were formerly much more 

 troublesome than they have been during the past season ; this year there were very few. 

 Mr D. W. Beadle, of St. Catharines, bears similar testimony. He says, " the Thrips 

 were very plenty in 1868, and injured the foliage of the Delaware and Clinton badly, 

 the more downy leaved grapes less, the Concord not at all. Since then they have not been 

 sufficiently abundant to do any harm." Mr. A. B. Bennett, of Brantford, remarks, "the 

 Thrips has made its first appearance with me this fall, but not to do any perceptible 

 damage, I am fearful for the future." Mr. Charles Arnold, of Paris, has suffered much 

 from Thrips in years past, and still finds them very troublesome. Two years ago, while 

 looking over the extensive vineyards of the Vine Growers' Association, at Cooksville, we 

 observed their Clinton vines 3warming with Thrips, the foliage appearing half bleached 

 and scorched. We believe they have not suffered so much from them since. These 

 insects do not appear to be known about Quebec. In our own locality they seem to have 

 permanently established themselves, and annoy and perplex us every season. 



Various remedies have been suggested, but no universal panacea has yet been devised. 

 Syringing with strong tobacco water or soap suds, dusting with sulphur and lime, or lime 

 alone, hellebore, Cayenne pepper, or fumigating with tobacco under a moveable tent, all 

 have their advocates. It is also said that carrying a lighted torch through the vineyard 

 at night, has been found very efficient in destroying them, they fly to the light and are 

 burnt. This remedy would require repeating several times at short intervals. Rev. R. 

 Burnett, in a recent letter, says : — " I know of several parties who have practised the 

 torch light for the destruction of the Thrips, accompanied with less or more success. Mr. 

 Haskins, of the City Water Works, one of the most intelligent and best informed of our 

 grape culturists, prefers the constant stirring of the earth in the immediate vicinity of the 

 vines in spring and fall." This latter remedy probably operates by disturbing the perfect 

 insects about the commencement or termination of their winter's sleep, and exposing them 

 to the killing influence of frost. 



They are not confined to the vine, but affect also the Virginia creeper. 



No. 12. — The Gra.pe Leaf Gall Louse (Pemphigus vitifolice, Fitch). The gall on 

 the leaf of which we are now about to treat, is the work of a small orange-colored louse, 

 which has been named by Dr. Pitch, State Entomologist of New York, Pemphigus vitifolice. 

 Subsequent observations have shown that it does not belong to the family of Pemphigus, 

 and some difference of opinion exists among leading Entomologists as to what family it 

 should be placed in, but wherever it may be eventually located the specific name vitifolice 

 will hold good. 



Figure- 51 rspresents a leaf covered with the galls above alluded to. They affect only 

 the Clinton, and other derivatives of the Wild Frost Grape. They appear as green excres- 

 cences of various sizes and shapes, but generally rounded, and not much larger than a pea. 

 In the second volume of the American Entomologist, p. 61, is an excellent account of their 

 origin and growth from the pen of Mr. Riley, which we shall quote : — " In each freshly 

 formed gall you will find from one to four orange colored mother lice, a number of shining 

 oval whitish eggs, of very minute size, and often a number of six4egged larvse, 

 scarcely bigger than the eggs, and of the same whitish color. Almost as soon as the larvse 



