342 MANUAL OF VEGETABLE-GARDEN INSECTS 

 The Sugar-Beet Nematode 



Heterodcra schachtii Schmidt 



This near relative of the root-knot nematode has been known 

 for many years as an important enemy of the sugar-beet in 

 Europe and has recently seriously infested sugar-beets in the 

 western United States. It also infests other kinds of beets, 

 as well as cabbage and related crops. Its life history is similar 

 to that of the species last treated, the most important differ- 

 ence being that there is a resting stage in which the eggs may 

 survive in the soil for at least six years. The sugar-beet nema- 

 tode is, therefore, a much more difficult pest to eradicate, 

 since to rid land by crop rotation it would be necessary to keep 

 it free from all susceptible crops for a period of several years. 



Millipedes 



There are several species of millipedes injurious to sprouting 

 seeds, seedlings and root-crops, such as radishes, turnips, 

 carrots, parsnips and beets (Fig. 213). They sometimes eat 

 out holes in potato tubers and often infest the heads of cabbage, 

 cauliflower and lettuce. Seed beans are attacked underground 

 and the millipedes may eat off the tender shoots. Sprouting 

 corn and peas are injured in a similar way. The millipedes 

 often bore into melons, cucumbers, squashes and tomatoes 

 where they touch the ground. 



Millipedes are not insects but belong to a closely related 

 class of animals. They are elongate, more or less cylindrical 

 creatures, having a distinct head and a body consisting of a 

 series of similar segments which is not divided into a thorax 

 and abdomen. Each segment, excepting the first four, bears 

 two pairs of legs. 



It is often stated that the mouth-parts of millipedes are not 

 fitted for feeding on healthy plant tissue, but a dissection of 



