Insects Injurious To The Grape

The grape has many enemies of this kind, but if they are closely

watched from the beginning their ravages are easily kept within proper

bounds.



The common gray cut-worm will often eat the young tender shoots of the

vine, and draw them into the ground below. Wherever this is perceived

the rascal can easily be found by digging for him under some of the

loose clods of ground below the vine, and should be des royed without

mercy.



Small worms, belonging to the family of leaf-folders, some of them

whitish gray, some bluish green, will in spring make their webs among

the young, downy leaves at the end of the shoots, eating the young

bunches or buttons, and the leaves. These can be destroyed when summer

pruning for the first time. Look close for them, as they are very

small; yet very destructive if let alone.



A small, gray beetle, of about the size and color of a hemp-seed, will

often eat a hole into the bud, when it is just swelling, and thus

destroy it. He is very shy, and will drop from the vine as soon as you

come near him. It is a good plan to spread a newspaper under the vine,

and then shake it, when he will drop on the paper and can be caught.



Another bug, of about the size of a fly, gray, with round black specks,

will sometimes pay us a visit. They will come in swarms, and eat the

upper side of the leaves, leaving only the skeletons. They are very

destructive, devouring every leaf, as far as they go; they can also be

shaken off on a paper or sheet spread under the vine.



The thrip, a small, rather three-cornered, whitish-green insect, has of

late been very troublesome, as they eat the under side of the leaves of

some varieties, especially the Delaware and Norton's Virginia, when the

leaf will show rusty specks on the surface, and finally drop off. It

has been recommended to go through the vineyard at night, one man

carrying a lighted torch, and the other beating the vines, when they

will fly into the flame, and be burnt. They are a great annoyance, and

have defoliated whole vineyards here last fall.



Another leaf-folder makes his appearance about mid-summer, making its

web on the leaf, drawing it together, and then devouring his own house.

It is a small, greenish, and very active worm, who, if he "smells a

rat," will drop out of his web, and descend to the ground in

double-quick time. I know of no other plan, than to catch him and crush

his web between the finger and thumb.



The aphis, or plant louse, often covers the young shoots of the vine,

sucking its juices. When a shoot is attacked by them, it will be best

to take it off and crush them under your feet, as the shoot is apt to

be sickly afterwards, any way.



The grape vine sphynx will be found occasionally. It is a large, green

worm, with black dots, and very voracious. Fortunately, it is not

numerous, and can easily be found and destroyed.



There are also several caterpillars--the yellow bear, the hog

caterpillar, and the blue caterpillar, which will feed upon the leaves.

The only remedy I know against them is hand picking, but they have not

as yet been very numerous, nor very destructive.



Wasps are sometimes very troublesome when the fruit ripens, stinging

the berries and sucking the juice. A great many can be caught by

hanging up bottles, with a little molasses, which they will enter, and

get stuck in the molasses.