22 farmers' BULLETIN" 856. 



injured by them in the open, attack beginning when the plants are 

 near the ground and even after the crop is ripening. Potatoes are 

 bored into, and celery is often badly injured during the bleaching 

 process. 



Control. — The best remedy is a preventive and consists of lime 

 in any form, quicklime being the most useful, sprinkled over the 

 plants and scattered al)out the haunts of the slugs, which means all 

 about the garden, buildings, outhouses, and fences. When the lime 

 comes into contact with the slug, the latter secretes slime copiously 

 and in time this completely exhausts the animal and it dies. 



Other remedies are soot, dust, sifted wood ashes, and kainit. By 

 scattering a line of any of these substances around a garden, cold- 

 frame, or other inclosure, it will serve to keep 

 the slugs away. To avoid slugs it is desirable 

 to remove all rotten wood and old structures, and 

 ■JsS'^k^ to keep the entire garden and yard free from 



rubbish of all kinds. 



SPRINGTAILS. 



tM. 



Spring-tails (fig. 18) are minute, dark-colored, 



soft-bodied insects which hop like fleas. They 



Fio. 18.— A common have the Same habit as flea-beetles of pitting the 



iHlZteTT:^- first-appearing leaves of all kinds of seedlings, 



turn). Much en- Avhich causcs much disfigurement and rcduces the 



largod. (ropenoe.) y^^^^ ^f ^j^^ ^^^^ 



Control. — The control is the same as for flea-beetles — Bordeaux 

 mixture combined with lead arsenate or Paris green. 



GENERAL-CROP DISEASES. 



While most plant diseases attack only one cro}) or a group of 

 related plants, there are some troubles wliich may occur on almost 

 any of the garden vegetables, as a rule on the underground parts. 

 These are Rhizoctonia, root-knot, and damping-off. 



RHIZOCTONIA. 



AVe might find a shorter name for this fungus, but more people 

 know it and its effects by this term than as stem-blight, root-rot, 

 scurf, or rosette. Among the plants attacked are potatoes, beets, 

 beans, celery, lettuce, and carnations. 



Dark cankers or dead spots are produced on the stem or roots 

 (fig. 19), which may decay and weaken or kill the plant. 



It is difficult to prevent or to control. Keep the soil in good tilth 

 and the plants under the most favorable growing conditions pos- 

 sible. 



