Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-04-14
For the Freeman.
A Chat with Farmers.
BY AGRICOLA.
ABOUT NOXIoUS INSECTS.

The locust tree hopper measures about
half an inch from the tip of the horn to
the end of the body. The male is of a
blackish color, with long yellow spots on
the sides of the back; the female is ash
colored, and without spots, While on
trees these insects seem very quiet and
unemployed, but at the same time they
are engaged in their destructive work, by
puncturing the bark and drinking the sap.
The female evidently commits her eggs
to the protection of the tree, but the young
are first found on the ground. While they
remain under the surface of the soil they
obtain nourishment from the roots OF
plants. When they reach the last period
of existence, they crawl up the trunks of
the tree, throw off their coats, take on
wings and are ready for action.
Tree hoppers are very numerous, and
the locust trees especially suffer from the
loss of sap which they draw from their
branches and the many punctures made in
the bark.
Another species of tree hoppers attack
the oak tree, and still another inhabits the
common creeper, as it is called. This last
kind has an oblong, square and thin eleva-
tion on the middle of the thorax. The
young live in the ground until they are
fully grown and have acquired the rud-
ments Of wings and wing-covers. Imme-
diately after this they are seen ascending
the stems of the creeper on which, about
the last of June, they change their skin
| for the last time.
Tree hoppers are attended by troop of
ants that have learned to feed upon the
sap drawn from the tree by these hoppers.
Some kinds live upon the stems of plants
from the time when they are Matched until
they are fully grown. The ants attend
these and act rs "wet nurses
The frog hoppers, as they are called,
are very singular insects. They pass their
whole lives on plants, and in the autumn
lay their eggs in the stems. The next
summer they are Matched, and the young
begin, at once, to perforate the bark and
to imbibc the sap.
Several species of these frog hoppers
are found in Massachusetts, on the stems
of alders and willows, and sometimes on
the plants, where they lay their eggs
When full grown they possess the power
of leaping in more remarkable degree
than the tree hoppers.
Leaf hoppers have nearly rs much
power TO leap as the frog hoppers, and are
much like them in other respects. Some
persons in this country have been compel
ed to abandon their grape vines in conse
., quence of the depredatons of II species o
leaf hoppers Yet the vine hoppers proper
, are most to be feared in this regard
These inhabit the foreign and native grape
vines, on the leaves of which they are
found the greater part of the summer, anC
there they pass through all their changes
4, They are first seen in June, when they are
3 very small and wingless. They derive
their nourishment from the leaf by sue
ton. They remain quiet unless disturbed
and us they increase in size frequently
change their skins. In August they arriv1
at maturity and begin to use their wings a
well us their legs in moving from place tc
place. But by this time they have ruined
the vines whose leaves become yellow ant
3 dry. The plant langushes and the stem
I refuses to grow. AS consequence tn,
fruit does not ripen and all is lost.
In the autumn the vine hoppers leave
the vines and seek shelter during the win
ter under the fallen leaves where they re
main until spring; but they are sure tc
come forth in time TO lay their eggs again
on the leaves of the vine to make sure ;
new crop of destructive insects, and ther
they die.
These vine hoppers are more hardy
race than the vine fretters of Europe, ant
applications that have destroyed the latte
have failed when applied to the former
But fumigations with tobacco are toC
! much even for them to withstand, an,
! when often repeated, so as to give all
: chance TO smoke, it secures their destruc
i ton. Here is one instance of the sensible
: and profitable use of the foul weed calle
Il tobacco.