496 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. 1 10 Aug., 1916. 



Spraying with the red oil should be doue in summer or autumn. Several 

 brands of this oil are on the market, the price of same being within the 

 reach of all. 



Whilst on the topic of mealy bugs, I might be permitted to mention 

 a pest very destructive to carnation plants, viz., the common mealy bug. 

 This insect is often very prevalent, and causes growers much concern 

 by living on the roots of carnations. Recent experiments with the 

 manurial insecticide and fumus have given excellent results. These 

 preparations are sprinkled on the soil and then dug into the ground. 



They are deadly to all 



kinds of insect life, &c., 

 such as millipedes, wire- 

 worms, slaters. 



The Bean Butterfly. 



This is a very common, 

 small, blue butterfly, the 

 larva of which causes 

 growers of French and 

 broad beans much annoy- 

 ance. The eggs of the 

 butterfly are deposited on 

 the beans, and as soon as 

 the young caterpillars are 

 hatched they commence at 

 once to bore into the pods, 

 and soon eat the young 

 beans; the pods then be- 

 come yellow, and shrivel 

 up. The larva of this insect 

 is greenish, and in shape is 

 not unlike the woodlouse 

 (Slater). During the last 

 couple of months, these 

 butterflies have been very 

 numerous in vegetable gar- 

 dens in the suburbs, and 

 growers of beans have had 

 to wage continual warfare 

 against them. Immediately 

 the beans show signs of 

 shape, and if the butterfly 

 season be at hand, spray 

 the rows with arsenate of 

 lead, this preparation, on account of its weak strength, being particu- 

 larly harmless to human beings. These insects have many natural 

 enemies, especially amongst our insectivorous birds, such as " fly- 

 caichers,' robins, wrens, tomtits, &c., all of which destroy vast num- 

 bers of the perfect insects annually. 



The Pumpkin Beetle. 

 This is a handsome little insect, about \ inch long by \ inch broad, 

 not unlike some of the ladybird beetles. In colour it is a distinct orange- 

 yellow, with a blackish patch in the shoulder of each wing-case, with 



Fig, 17.— The Bean Butterfly 



[Zizera labradus, Godt), 



