124 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO VEGETABLES 



dry, mixed with flour, in the same manner as for the Colorado 

 potato beetle. The beetles accumulate quite largely upon 

 "mother" beets early in spring, which suggests that if a few 

 beets be left in the ground over winter they will serve as trap 

 crops for the protection of the younger plants in spring. The 

 larger species practically confines its injuries to plants growing 

 in or in close proximity to alkali soil. Hence such ground is 

 to be avoided for the cultivation of beets. 



BLISTER BEETLES 



Blister beetles are among the most conspicuous of all beet 

 enemies, and no less than ii species have been observed as 

 doing injury to sugar-beet alone. One of the commonest is the 

 margined blister beetle (Epicouta marginata, fig. 78). The 

 writer has seen entire plantings of beet almost completely de- 

 foliated ])y it ; but as a rule this and several of the other beet- 

 feeding blister beetles occur too late in the season to do material 

 harm, as the roots have by this time made nearly complete 

 growth. This species also attacks beans, potatoes and tomatoes, 

 as well as other vegetables, and is destructive to some flowering 

 plants. It is most abundant in July and August. 



Remedies are the same as for other blister beetles (page 68). 



CUTWORMS AND OTHER CATERPILLARS 



When sugar-beets are cultivated over a large territory, there 

 is comparatively little danger of injury from common cutworms 

 which are such serious pests in the vegetable garden. Certain 

 species, however, occur occasionally in great numbers, spreading 

 from field to field, like the army worms, and sometimes 

 sweep everything before them, as they feed upon every portion 

 of the plant — foliage, flowers, stalks, and even roots. At such 

 times they should be promptly destroyed. Methods of control 

 employed against cutworms are considered on page 54. When 

 traveling in armies cutworms should be treated as army worms 

 (see p. 58). 



