348 Junior Naturalist Monthly. 



during their lives. This is true of the potato beetle. The eggs, dark 

 orange in color, are usually found in clusters of from lo to 40, on the 

 under side of the leaves. The young or larvae, Figs. 5, 6, are called 

 " soft-shells " by the farmers. The period of rest, called the pupa, Fig. 

 7, when the " soft-shells " change to beetles. This change takes place 

 in little round cells in the earth. The fourth period is the adult or beetle, 

 Fig. 8, with its striped wing covers. How many stages in the life of the 

 potato beetle can you find? 



.4. Late in the fall the beetles go down into the earth to sleep until 

 spring. See whether you can find any in the field. It is said that usually 

 they do not go down deeper than ten inches. 



5. Find out whether the beetles eat as well as the young. 



6. There are little friends in our gardens as well as enemies. One of 



these good friends is a lady bird beetle, or lady bug. You have often 



sung: 



" Lady bug, lady bug, fly away home, 

 Your house is on fire and your children will burn ! " 



When you come to know the lady bug you will hope that when she does 

 fly away she will find her home in your garden. 



One thing that most of the lady birds do is to eat the eggs of the 

 potato beetle, and some feed on the young; so, you see, they help us to 

 control the potato bugs. 



The lady bug's eggs look much like the eggs of the potato beetle. 

 They are smaller and there are not so many in each cluster, but it is 

 difficult to distinguish the two kinds of eggs. 



LESSON V. THE APPLE HARVEST 



The apple harvest time is here. 



The tender apple harvest time; 



A sheltering calm, unknown at prime. 



Settles upon the brooding year. 



— Bliss Carman. 



How many varieties of apples are raised near your home? Appoint 

 a committee of four or five members of your class to secure an apple of 

 each variety. Let these apples be labeled, if possible, that the children 



