The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-07-27
THE ROSE BUG PEST.
All the Sandy Region Of South
Jersey Alive With the De-
struetiye lnsect-poison
Intellectual.

past two years, has received the attention
of the State authorities aud the State
entomologist. John B. Smith. has been
making official observations on the Vine
land tract. In a few days he viii issue a
bulletin from the Agricultural College
and Experiment Station, which viii show
the extent of the damage done by the
rose chafer or rosebug. and give some
historical facts in connec tion with the in
vasion Of New Jersey. The state ento-
mologist says
From ali that can learn, the present
invasion dates back some four to six
years, and bas been gradually extending
and increasing since that time, until the
larger part OF the grape growing region
of Southern New Jersey Is invaded.
Rather more than twenty years ago there
was similar irruptioh, which lasted four
or five years and then suddenly ceased.
In the interval the species was common,
rs it is nearly all over the State. but did
no injury that attracted general atten-
tion.
HOW THEY HAVE INCREASED.
"Mrs. Treat. of Vineland. informs me
that when she first went there TO live
about nineteen years ago-the invasion
was in progress, and lasted thereafter
about three years. How long before that
they had been injurious she could not
say. From that time and until about i've
years ago, there were but few beetles
each year, doing no noticeable damage.
Since that time they have grown stsadi y
numerous, and were never more injurious
than in 1890. when / had the pleasure OF
seeing them. The invasion seemed to
come from the south, and she has found
nothing that would check them. During
the season OF 1891 the invaders were muc h
less numerous and the injury was much
less severe.
''Coionel Pearson, also of Vineland.
saws that until four years ago he never
saw q rosebug on his place then they
came in from the north ana west and de-
stroyed all the grapes in those sections OF
his vineyards. The injury was most
severe in 1889; but the insects were yet
numerous enough in 1890 to destroy what
fruit there was. In 1891 peculiar climatic
conditions caused much smaller pro-
portion of injury, and the invasion as a
whole was not so severe. This lessening
of injury in 1891 was due to period Of
unusually warm weather in April which
forced vegetation ahead at an unusual
rate, brought out blossoms OF III kinds at
nearly the same time, and generally adj
vauced fruits. Following this in May
came period Of cold weather, which re-
tarded development in the insects, and
kept them back 70 period
much later in proportion to the develop
ment of plant life than is the cnse in ordi-
nary seasons. Blackberries had blossom
ed and set before the beetles appeared.
Strawberries were ripening and well be-
yond danger, and many grapes were out
OF bloom, when the insects appeared. A
few warm days late in May brought ont
the beetles butanotber succession Of chilly
days kept them quiet and prevented
blight to a great extent The result was
there occurred no such general migration
as Ia usual and that whatever was done
hxyfh hn Il
at or close to the points Of injury. This
same combination has, however. made the
Jury done Ia ether localities aud On
other crops much more severe
II am led to be ihns explicit in explain
ing what believe TO be the true causes of
lessened injury in 1891, because some
have already convinced themselves that
the tide has turned, aud that there will
be still further lessenin2 o. injury in
the coming years. | cannot convince my
self that tnis belief Is well founded, and
have no doubt that, had the weather been
as favorable. injury would have been as
severe as ever this year"
NOT PARTICULAR AS TO VARIETY.
''.fhe grape is by no means the only
food of this pest. Fruit trees of all kinds
suffer. The eaty cherries, swarm on
ackberrles. and are fond of straw
berries. Roses are the favori5e luncheon:
They will eat buds and flowers. but
rarely touch the leaves. They like the
foxglove. but it generally kills them
They will eat sassafras, sumaeh and oak.
A magnolia, If fragrant, Will attract q
million Of them. They have a fondness
for spruce gum. and in the upper part Of
the State they have been known TO eat
fern and Dracken. They are particularly
fond Of grapes, aud on that account they
have been the cause OF much distress In
New Jersey.
'The thoroughness with which the
work of destruction is done is indicated
in the following quotation from one OF
Colonel Pearson's letters:-Yesterday, a
farmer who lives two miles south of ne
on Malaga road, told me that the rose
bugs had devoured all his grapes, all
cherries, all raspberries. all blackberries.
and all applesl Luckily this is an of
year for peaches, or tue bugs might have
had these also. He is practically cleaned
out This is by no means an isolated or
exceptional case, and several who had put
in large vineyards and depended on them
for subsistence, were reduced to poverty
and compelled to abandon their land. ow-
ing 60 the destruction OF the crop by these
Insects. Acres of vines have been grubbed
out, and thousands of dollars of invested
capital have been utterly lost through
these pests Other vineyards are aban-
doned, aud serve only to propagate and
shelter the diseases of the vine, the rot
taxing anything the rosebugs leave.
"The character of the farming near
Vineland has been totally changed by in
sect attacks, and sweet potatoes now re-
place the grape.
JERSEY SAND ALIVE WITH THEM.
'The question, where do these insects
breed, is of course an important one.
They came into the vineyards at Vine
land from various points-sometimes
from the north, sometimes from the south (;
but somehow, that they breed in the
swamps, has become tolerably well-1xed
idea with many. To test this belief,
made the October trip to Vineland. On
Colonel Pearson's place ] found the laryfe
everywhere in his vineyards and in his
blackberry patch, feeding apparently on
the roots of the sparse grass and weeds
between the rows; still more numerous
were they under the sod bordering the
vineyard In the meadowland
lust adjacent, where the soil was
heavier faud not so sandy, not a
Larvae was found. On Malaga road are
two sour-Sum trees. which were swarm
ing with the beetles In June The most
careful search in the road aud in the field
ALONGSIDE failed to turn out q single
laryae Near the house. by the rosebushes
whicn were so badly infested, the sod was
solid aud no Larvae was found. A black
berry patch some distance off, also badly
damaged by the beetles in spring, which
had rather heavy, solid surface, turned
out no larvte- Ten feet away, at the edge
of a wood, there were plenty. A small
patch of brush. such as is found through