THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
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When the rose-chafers are especially numerous, they at¬ 
tack even berries, peas, beans, and nearly all garden 
fruits and vegetables. In their attacks upon the grape, 
they first devour the blossoms, then they strip the leaves, 
leaving only a thin net-work, and later the young grapes 
are eaten. Whole vineyards and orchards often are de¬ 
vastated and whole crops in certain sections of the coun¬ 
try are destroyed. 
besides the damage done to vegetation, the beetles 
sometimes cause the death of young chickens. The 
chickens eat the beetles and poisoning results in the 
death of the ehicken within 24 hours. Experiments 
have developed the fact that from fifteen to twenty beetles 
are sufficient to kill a week-old chick. 
The character of the soil bears an important relation to 
the appearance of the rose-chafer. Light sandy regions 
are greatly preferred as a breeding ground, while clay 
lands, unless near sandy soil, are seldom troubled. 
Methods of Control. 
A thoroughly effective remedy against this insect is 
yet to be discovered. Any application that may be 
made is unsuccessful unless applied almost continuously, 
for as often as the beetles on a plant are killed, others 
arise from the ground or from neighboring fields to take 
their place. Many so-called “sure” remedies, including 
compounds of copper, lime, kerosene, and tobacco, have 
failed to give results when put to a rigid test. What¬ 
ever practice of a remedial nature is undertaken, 
w hether collecting or spraying, it should be begun at the 
first onset of the insects’ attack and continued until they 
disappear. The work should not be confined entirely 
to those useful plants which it is particularly desired to 
preserve, as the insects attack many other plants. 
Ornamental plants that are hardy may possibly be pro¬ 
tected by a heavy application of arsenate of lead, using 
4 or 5 pounds to 50 gallons of either water or Bordeaux 
mixture. Very thorough applications should be made 
when the insects first appear, and repeated applications 
should be made as found necessary. A considerable 
degree of protection to vineyards is afforded by the 
timely and thorough use of arsenical sprays, the amount 
of benefit varying with the abundance of the insects. 
Since the use of poison sprays at the time of “rose-bug’ 
invasion is desirable for the control of other grape pests, 
vineyards in sandy regions and subject to the attack of 
this insect should be sprayed regularly as a part of the 
routine of the vineyard work. The first application of 
spray should be given just before the blossoms open, and 
if the beetles continue to be destructive, the treatment 
should be repeated as soon as the blossoms fall. Vine¬ 
yards regularly sprayed should be less injured by the 
rose-chafer than those which are not so treated. 
For the destruction of the beetles on fruit trees, as 
peach, apple, etc., arsenate of lead should be used, pre¬ 
ferably in a fungicide, such as Bordeaux mixture, when 
the beetles first appear. It should be applied at the 
same strength indicated for vineyards, namely, 4 or 5 
pounds to 50 gallons of spray. In spraying peaches 
and other stone fruits the arsenical should be used in 
the self-boiled lime-sulphur wash or in 50 gallons of 
water which contains lime wash made from slaking 3 or 
4 pounds of good stone lime. Repeated applications may 
be necessary, depending upon the extent of reinfestation 
of the trees by newly emerged beetles, or those from 
other sources. 
The rose-chafer is extremely sensitive to disturbance 
when it is in the pupal stage in the soil. Since both 
larvae and beetles are very tenacious of life, the pupal 
stage appears to furnish the most vulnerable period of 
attack and large numbers may be destroyed by simply 
stirring the breeding grounds at the proper time to a 
depth of 3 or more inches. In northern Ohio the most 
favorable time for the application of this remedy is from 
May 25 to June 10. In the South the operation should 
be commenced earlier. All ground which might serve as 
a breeding place should be plowed and harrowed at the 
proper time. The least possible light sandy soil should 
be left in sod. only the heaviest land being used for grass. 
Two horses will do the same work with this digger as twelve horses do, with them now in 
use. Write for descriptive circular with testimonials. 
EAST GRAND FORKS NURSERY, East Grand Forks, Minn. 
