Jim McKinney's signature block reminded me of a recent sight. Two weeks ago I travelled to Maryland (unfortunately, due to a death in my family), but I was astounded to see the extent of tree damage, on trees of all types everywhere one looks, some trees much more devestated than others. The last 12" or so of each leafy branch is dead, hanging down at right angle to the horizontal branching. Is this the cicada damage? Do they bore into the wood of the branches near the ends of branches, to lay eggs or something, causing the branch ends to collapse and hang down. Jim, I'm wondering in your garden, do the cicadas cause harm to herbaceous plants and bulbs? -- Mark McDonough Pepperell, Massachusetts, United States "New England", near New Hampshire USDA Zone 5 ======================================= antennaria@aol.com website: http://www.plantbuzz.com/ alliums, bulbs, penstemons, hardy hibiscus, western american alpines, iris, plants of all types!