insects are very abundant the honey should be thoroughly extracted at the dawn of the clover bloom, so as to secure this superexcellent honey free from taint and uncolored from this louse nectar which is considerably darker than is the clover honey. It will be necessary to watch closely during the clover bloom, as if the nectar fountains of these blossoms are dried up from cold or wet, the bees will almost surely go to the so called honey dew again. I have been asked several times if this secretion would be a fit winter food for the bees. If the taste is pleasant and not bitter or fungent, and if freely capped over by the bees, I should not hesitate to leave it in the hive. If on the other hand it is unpleasant to the taste, and especially if the bees refuse to cap it over, I should fear to have it in the hive in winter. I have considerable honey which is strongly flavored by this nectar. I have asked many persons to sample it and I have yet to hear the first criticism as to its quality. I should not hesitate to feed this to my bees for winter. I have letters from persons who complain of this nectar in their hives, as bitter and nauseating; such honey should be carefully kept from the bees in winter.

PLANT LICE-APHIDES.

The present season has been especially noticeable for the abundance of plant lice, no less than bark lice. Many fruit and shade trees in May and June had their foliage and green twigs literally covered with the lice. We have carefully watched to see if M. Lichtenstein's theory of migration to the roots of plants explained the rapid thinning out of these lice in late June and July. Tar about the tree trunks caught no lice, nor do we think the lice dropped from the trees. We think that the coccinellidæ larvæ, and syrphus fly larvæ were sufficient to account for this happy riddance. Five or six of these predaceous larvæ would be found on a single leaf, dining on the lice, and their habits indicated good appetites. We are certainly more deeply indebted than we know to these insect-eating larvæ. They save many a tree and shrub from total destruction from these plant lice sappers.

Fig. 11.

INSECTICIDES.

We tried pyrethrum (Buhach) as a powder, which was applied by use of the Woodason bellows (Fig. 11), which serves admirably for this purpose; pyrethrum (Buhach), mixed in water-a tablespoonful to two gallons of the liquid-which was applied by use of the Woodason spraying bellows; kerosene and sour milk, one to ten, which was thoroughly mixed; and kerosene and soap emulsion as already described. The spraying bellows we find very excellent, as it is so economical. One pint of the liquid would answer for quite a sizable tree. All of these substances were of value in killing the lice; but the pyrethrum was less effective than was the kerosene. In fact, it seemed less effective than it did last year, and I think it possibly lost some of its strength, though I kept it in

a tin can with a cover that screwed on. The two kerosene liquids both killed the lice most thoroughly. Indeed, after their use it was hard to find a live louse. The foliage, however, when the soap liquid was used, seemed much brighter than did that treated with the milk. Indeed, I think this soap and kerosene mixture applied with a force pump, with a cyclone nozzle, or by use of a spraying bellows, so that it surely is dashed against the insects, is going to prove one of our best insecticides. The foliage brightens up at once, as if the bath was most agreeable and life giving.

It

Prof. W. W. Tracy reports that bisulphide of carbon, which we have found so effective in our battle with such insects as the cabbage maggot, that work underground, is not effective in clay soil, and that it does sometimes injure very vigorous, rapid growing plants. We have not noticed any harm from its use, but we have tried the kerosene and soap mixture with great success. kills the insects and does no injury to the plants. This is also cheaper and more easily procured than is the bisulphide. The fact, too, that this is nonexplosive is in its favor. Carelessness might cause serious injury from the presence of the bisulphide. We have invented an instrument to apply such a mixture.

It is possible that by use of this instrument and the kerosene and soap mixture, the work of fighting successfully the old peach borer will be considerably lightened.

INSTRUMENT DESCRIBED.

Take a 14 inch gas pipe ten inches long (Fig. 12), and get a blacksmith to fashion four inches at one end into the form of a cone. Two inches from the point of the cone drill a one-half inch hole at e through one side of the pipe, and four inches above. this a second hole the same size. Screw into the upper end of this a three-quarter inch gas pipe (g) twenty inches long. On the side of this get a tinner to strap a gallon tin can (6) with a tight screw cover. Connect the can from the bottom by use of a tin tube with the upper pole made through the larger piece of gas pipe. Inside the larger gas pipe fit a piston (4) with a rod (D) which shall reach through the smaller gas pipe and have a convenient ring at the end of this rod to grasp with the hand. When the piston is pushed down it shuts the opening from the gallon can, so that any liquid in the latter can not pass out. If the piston is raised the liquid at once runs into the hollow cone, when by pushing down the piston it is forced out the hole at c, and at the same time the opening is again closed. By use of a T joint a foot rest can be attached to the side of the larger piece Fig. 12. of gas pipe (G) which may be useful in pushing the point into the ground, and holding the instrument down as we raise the piston. Of course earth will fill the hole in the conical point, but as the piston is forced down this will be crowded out.

This will be used much as we manipulate the common hand corn-planter, and by its use kerosene can easily and quickly be made to kill such insects as root lice, cabbage and radish maggots, strawberry crown borers and girdlers, etc. I think by having the instrument made with care it may be economically used to apply bisulphide of carbon in like cases.

THE CURRANT BORER.

Egeria tipuliformis, Linn. Family Egereida. Order Lepidoptera.

This imported Egerian or currant borer is becoming very common and destructive in Michigan. Like all of this Lepidopterous family of borers, this moth is a quick-winged, beautiful, wasp-like insect. It is thirteen mm. (3-16 of an inch) long, and expands 18 mm. (11-16 of an inch). The wings are transparent, with an opaque brown border, which is narrow on the posterior wings but quite wide on the tip of the primaries. Within this brown tip is a transparent cross line nearly as wide as the brown tip, and still nearer the base is a second brown cross line, less than half as wide as the other. The body, antennæ, and parts of the legs, are blue black, while the mouth parts, collar, four cross-bands on the abdomen, and portions of the legs, are golden yellow. Like all Egerians, its abdomen is tipped with a brush. The larva is white, with brown head and legs. The chrysalis is brown, rather slim, and is always found in the hollow stem. Each segment is armed posteriorly with teeth.

HABITS.

The moth appears early in June, flying in the hot sunshine. The eggs are laid near a bud. The larva as soon as hatched bores or eats its way to the center of the stem and eats till the next May, tunneling the stem for some inches. Late in May and early in June the larvæ and pupa will both be found in the hollow stems of the currant. Before pupating, the larva eats a hole through the stem to serve as a door of egress for the prospective moth state. Before the moth issues, the chrysalis wriggles its way out through the small hole cut by the larva, which it is enabled to do the more readily because of the saw-teeth like projections on the segments. As the moth flies forth, she leaves the pupa skin or case still sticking in the hole through which the pupa passed from the hollow in the stem.

REMEDIES.

From this borer we have bred several specimens of an Ichneumon parasite, which Mr. E. T. Cresson informs me are the Phaeogenes ater Cress., the male of which he says is undescribed. I think this is the first mention of this parasite on the currant borer.

The female of P. ater Cresson, is described in Proceedings of American Entomological Society, vol. 3d, p. 138, as follows: Black; antenna with a white annulus; wings subhyaline; central area of metathorax large,

subquadrate.

Female-Black, subopaque; head with white-pointed orbits, not reaching the clypeus, which is shining, and having a rather deep rounded fovea on each side; antennæ short, flattened towards the tip and slightly involute, the 8th and 14th joints white. Thorax finely punctured, subopaque; a minute white spot on each side in front of the tegulæ; scuttelum flat, triangular, polished, distinctly punctured; metathorax finely scabrous, the elevated lines tolerably well defined and shining, the central area large subquadrate, rather smooth. Wings subhyaline, faintly tinged with fulginous; nervures blackish, stigma piceous; areolet five angular, almost triangular. Legs black, the anterior tibiæ in front pale. Abdomen elongate, subopaque, very finely and densely punctured; first segment rather broad, bi-lineated, and finely aciculate, basal

foveæ of the second segment deep, transverse, and somewhat oblique; apical segments smoother, and shining; ovipositor not exserted. Length lines, expanse of wings 11 lines. Habitat, New York and Illinois.

I find the antennæ in the males are without the white rings. They are brown or black, and taper towards the tip. The punctures are more thickly set in the male. The areolet is distinctly 5-angular. The front tibiæ and all the tarsi are pale. A brown or reddish ring marks the base of each femur, which is very distinct on the posterior legs. With these exceptions the male is much like the female as described by Mr. Cresson. The sex organs are of course different.

The best way to destroy this pest and to save our currant bushes, is to practice judicious pruning early in the spring. All stalks attacked by borers will show by their dead tips or diseased appearance that they are suffering from attack. These should all be cut off and burned. Such pruning will insure better fruit and healthier finer bushes even were there no borers; and unless such thinning is practiced our currant bushes will soon be utterly ruined. In future currants in our northern states mean fight. Since the advent of the saw fly, also imported, defoliation can only be stayed by a liberal use of pyrethrum or white hellebore. Such defoliation two successive seasons kills the bushes. Added to this, in all sections where the borer works, we must prune and burn each spring, then we may still eat our jelly tarts and our jelly cake.

A COMMON BUTTERFLY AN ENEMY.

Pyrameis cardui Linn, is one of our most common and most beautiful butterflies. It is a cosmopolite, being one of the very few species that is found in all countries. From its rare beauty it is not inappropriately called "The Painted Lady." The larvæ or caterpillars vary very much in coloration, and are decked with formidable branching spines. The caterpillar spins a web on the leaf by aid of which it draws the leaf over so as to cover itself with a shade tent. The chrysalis is adorned with golden or copper colored tubercles. Heretofore this caterpillar has only been noticed, in Michigan, to feed on thistles, and so was doubly welcome, not less from its beauty than from its feeding upon one of our most noxious plants. Dr. Harris in his admirable work says: "These caterpillars feed on thistles, particularly the spear thistle (Cnicus lanceolatus), on the leaves of the sunflower, hollyhock, burdock, and other rough leaved plants in June and July." (Harris's Injurious Insects, p. 293). Prof. S. H. Scudder states that "they feed on all thistles, Helianthus, mallows," these include hollyhock, "Lappa major" (burdock), "Althæa rosea" (marsh mallow), and "Lilybum moreanum or milk thistle.'

This summer this insect has been a serious annoyance at Bay City, Michigan, as a destroyer of the hollyhock and hardy Centaurea C. candidissima. It is not strange that this insect should attack the Centaurea, as it is a composite plant closely related to the thistle and burdock, and, like most of the plants attacked by "The Painted Lady," has thick leaves.

At the college this insect has attacked the hollyhocks and one of our favorite bee plants the borage Borrago officinalis. I can find no mention of this insect on borage or any plant of that family.

REMEDY.

Mr. F. W. Grinnell, of Bay City, used the soap and kerosene mixture on

these insects with decided success. He found, however, that it was necessary to dash it unto them with force, a point which I have frequently urged in advising the use of any liquid preparations used to destroy injurious insects.

As yet we have reared no parasites from these caterpillars, though some of the chrysalids have turned black, which leads us to hope for the appearance of one or more of these welcome friends.

STRAWBERRY LEAF ROLLER.

Phoxopteris comptana, Fröl. Family Tortricidae. Order Lepidoptera.

This insect which I briefly described with illustrations in the State Pomological Report for 1873 p. 104, and which was again noticed with a brief description and remedies by C. M. Weed in the report of same society for 1883, p. 82, has become a very serious pest to the strawberry grower in several parts of our State. In several counties, especially in Jackson, it has done great damage the present year (1884). Two years ago I reared the moth from specimens received from Kalamazoo County. This year from specimens received from Jackson County.

The small reddish brown moths are only about 10 mm. long. They lay their eggs in May and July. The brownish or greenish brown larva feed in June and July and again in August and September. Thus there are two broods. The larva spins a web on the upper surface of the leaf by which the latter is rolled about the insect. It then feeds upon the leaf, causing it to turn gray or brown. One man in Michigan Centre, Jackson County, has had his plantation of six acres seriously injured by these consumers.

Prof. S. A. Forbes in his excellent report on strawberry insects states that in Iowa this insect also attacks the raspberry.

There is an Ichneumon fly that is very abundant in Michigan, which preys upon this leaf roller. I think it is undescribed. It certainly is not referred to as a destroyer of the leaf roller. I have not access to Cressons description of the Genus Eiphosoma, but from the very short description and figure given by Packard, this species would seem to belong to that genus. This species is black, with legs, ventral surface of abdomen, ring about the eyes, and base of the wings yellow. The antennæ are 4 mm. long, the wings about 3 mm. The ovipositor is black and about as long as the wings. The thorax and abdomen are finely punctured.

The fact that in some localities where this leaf-roller was very destructive two years ago it has been considerably less so since is significant as to the benefit which this parasite may do.

ARTIFICIAL REMEDIES.

Walsh & Riley recommended years ago the cutting of the vines as soon as the fruit season was over, late in June or the first of July, and burning them as soon as they are dry enough. Adding straw, or if there is dry mulch firing that will make the destruction more complete. This has been tried frequently with the most perfect success. Straw has been piled upon the vines as much as a foot high and burned without doing any injury to the plantation. Where the beds are extensive the cutting may be done with a mower. Prof. Forbes gives cases where chickens have rid the plants of these leaf rollers. In case of a small plantation this remedy may be all-sufficient.