CONTROL OF GARDEN DISEASES AND INSECTS. 



29 



On 



Control. — Lead arsenate is the best remedy for this species. 

 3^oung beans it must be applied at half strength to avoid burning 



the plants. 



BEAN Al'HIS. 



The bean aphis, a minute blackish plant-louse and a widely dis- 

 tributed pest, does injury throughout the country, being especially 

 troublesome in California, working on the early plants. 



Control. — Nicotine sulphate is the best remedy, applied as soon as 

 possible and repeated as found necessary. 



BLISTEU BEETLES. 



Beans and related plants are especially favored by blister beetles, 

 and it is a common sight to see different forms travel from beets 

 to beans or potatoes. See " Blister 

 beetles" (p. 17). 



BEETS. 



BEET FLEA-BEETLE. 



The beet flea-beetle (fig. 29), also 

 known as the spinach flea-beetle, is 

 particularly injurious to table beets, 

 attacking them as soon as they are 

 above ground. The young, or larvae, 

 develop on chickw^eed and lamb's- 

 quarters, and a second brood is soon 

 produced to attack the beets. The 

 young frequently develop in such 

 numbers as literally to " clean out " 

 entire rows of beets before they are 

 even noticed by the gardener. They 

 even work doAvn and bore into the 

 crown of the plants. 



Control. — As this species is rather 

 large for a flea-beetle, it can be controlled readily by arsenate of 

 lead applied on the first appearance of the pest and renewed as 

 often as needed. Since chick weed and lamb's-quarters are the nat- 

 ural food plants, they should be kept down in the early spring, not 

 only on account of this insect but because of cutworms which de- 

 velop on the same plants. 



BLISTER BEETLES. 



Blister beetles are almost as injurious to beets as to potatoes and 

 devour the plants in the same way. For control, see "Blister 

 beetles" (p. IT). 



Fig. 29. — The beet, or spinach, flea- 

 beetle (Disonycha xantliomelaena) : 

 a. Beetle ; b, pupa ; c, full-giown 

 larva. Five times natural size. 



