INTRODUCTION 



Vegetables are subject to attack by insects from the time 

 the seed is planted until the edible portion is ready for cooking. 

 Insect injury manifests itself in different ways according to 

 the plant attacked, the insect concerned, the stage of the insect, 

 and the age and condition of the plant. 



Manifestations of Insect Injury. — If plants soon after the 

 seed has been sown fail to appear in due time, such failure is 

 apt to be attributed to unfavorable atmospheric 

 conditions or to imperfect seed, but examination 

 will frequently show that some insect is at work. 

 Among insects destructive to planted seed are 

 wireworms and root-maggots, and in some cases 

 insects that have fed on the seed stock while in 

 store are planted with the seed, and this they 

 destroy by eating out the germ. Familiar ex- 

 amples are the bean and pea weevils. 



Asparagus tips when ready for cutting are 

 ruined for market by the asparagus beetles (see 

 Fig 1 -Aspara- ^&- ^ ) ■ ^^ plants like tomato that are reset are 

 g:us tip, showing cut off abruptly near the ground, cutworms are 



eggs and injury , , i t r i • ,, i r 



by asparagus "^^I'ly always at work. If the nnnute leaves of 

 beetles. (Au- plants like cucumber, soon after beginning to 

 thor's illustra- ^ , • i i ^ 



tion, u.s.Dept. sprout, are found eaten away, causnig the plants 

 Agr) to die, cucumber beetles are present. Corn is 



similarly aft'ected by flea-beetles, as are also potato and other 

 vegetables. 



When stems or stalks of various plants are found with one 

 or more holes of varying size, from that of a straw to con- 

 siderably larger, this is evidence of a borer within, particularly 



