264 Report of the Entomolooists of the 



TliAP crops. 



(1) Beans. — The bean has often been recommended as a food 

 plant to be used to keep the beetles from cucumbers. In sections 

 of the country where golden rod is not plentiful during the fall, 

 the planting of beans in and along the margins of cucumber and 

 melon fields about September 1 ought to make a good crop upon 

 which to poison the new brood of beetles. As soon as the beetles 

 are noticed feeding upon the bean vines, the latter should be 

 thoroughly dusted with green arsenite (copper arsenite^") or even 

 Paris green. Although not tested, I doubt if beans would be a 

 good trap crop to use in the spring unless they were younger and 

 more tender than the vines of the crops being protected. Tf the 

 beetles cared more for beans than for cucumbers they would be 

 found in the bean fields instead of in the cucumber fields during 

 the spring. Possibly beans could be used in small gardens as a 

 spring trap-crop in connection with covers. 



(2) Squashes. — In 1898, a series of tests on the use of squashes 

 as a trap-crop the details of which are given under the head of 

 " Field notes," were carried out on an extensive scale in the pickle 

 section of Long Island. The results show that, by planting 

 squashes around the margin of the field where cucumbers or 

 melons are to be planted, the beetles will not disturb the cucum- 

 bers, and, if several plantings of the squashes are made and al- 

 lowed to remain on the field, the beetles will disturb the cucum- 

 ber vines but little during the whole season. We do not recom- 

 mend the planting of squashes simply to feed and grow the beetles 

 upon, on condition that they will not disturb the cucumbers, but 

 do reconmiend their use with other measures as followed in the 

 field tests. Squashes, if used rightly, answer the purpose for 

 which covers are used. The beetles feed on them and thus allow 

 the cucumber and melon vines to make their early growth undis- 

 turbed so that they can better withstand later attacks. Further- 



16 Lead arsenite is also colored and sold under the incorrect name, green 

 arsenite. 



