678 State Board of Agriculture, &c. 



tiirity in about a month after the e^g is laid. The larva 

 remains in the pupa state about two weeks. We usually 

 have but two £:;enerations in a season. It remains throuo-h 

 the winter in the pupa state. The grub often hollows out 

 the stem of the squash or cucumber vine, below the ground^ 

 the last of June or first of July, and sometimes eats the 

 upper portion of the root. Sliould this food get short they 

 may be found in the stem above ground. They, however^ 

 do not do great damage either in the second generation, or 

 in their grub life. Covering the vines with a box covered 

 on top with muslin, has been considered the only sure rem- 

 edy ; though powdered charcoal, lime, and sometimes ashes, 

 can be used with benefit. In many cases, however, the ma- 

 terial sprinkled on the leaf is as bad as the beetle. If a 

 handful of shavings be burned near the hills in the evening, 

 many of them will fly into the flames. After various exper- 

 iments, I have become satisfied that covering the hills with 

 common newspapers, is much the best means to be used ; 

 besides, you get an accelerated growth of the plants. Just 

 as soon as they break ground, or, perhaps better, a day or 

 two before the plants appear, open a newspaper to its full 

 size, and spread it over the hill, letting it lie close on the 

 ground, and fasten it in place by hoeing the dirt on to the 

 edges, 80 that no gusts of wind can disturb them. The 

 plants thus covered will grow at least a third faster than 

 those not covered, are safe from the beetles, and more 

 healthy in every way, producing blossoms several days 

 sooner than those not covered. It is seldom that once cov- 

 ering will not answer all purposes, but should one be torn 

 off from any cause, it can easily be replaced. I have tried' 



