38 PROTECTION' OF PLANTS. 1916-17 



Beetle, Macrohasis unicolor Kirby, and the Gray Blister Beetle Epicauta 

 cinerea Forst, are the better-known species. All are soft-bodied insects; in 

 shape they are slender and cylindrical, and about one-half an inch in length. 

 Remedies. — Paris green or arsenate of lead (page 39) will control blister 

 beetles, but it is often necessary to repeat the application as the beetles 

 which are killed are soon replaced by others. It would not be advisable to 

 use either of these arsenicals too freely on cabbages. If after the heads are 

 half formed, such plants are found to be infested by blister beetle^, and one 

 application is not sufficient, it would be advisable to resort to the old 

 "driving" remedy which has often been successfully employed. Two or 

 three boys, or more if necessary, walking through an infested plot or field 

 and waving from side to side boughs of spruce, or other branches, should 

 disturb the beetles and drive them ahead. When the insects come to the 



edge of the crop they will disperse and seldom return. 



« 



Locusts 



In years of abundance these insects, particularly the Lesser Migratory 

 Locust, Melanoplus atlanis Riley, the Red-legged Locust, Melanoplus femur- 

 rubrum DeG., the Pellucid Locust, Camnula pellucida Scudd. and the Two- 

 striped Locust, Melanoplus hivittatus Say, very often migrate to vegetable 

 gardens and cause serious damage by devouring the foliage of potato, cab- 

 bage, corn, celery, etc. (See Fig. 3, page 34). 



Remedy. — The poisoned bran mixture(page 40), with the addition of the 

 juice and peel of 3 oranges or 3 lemons, is a valuable means of destroying 

 large numbers of these insects. The bait should be broadcasted lightly 

 early in the morning to attract the locusts when they are hungry after their 

 night's rest. Four pounds of the mixture is sufficient to treat one acre. 



Snails and Slugs 



Very often these soft-bodied molluscs are decidedly destructive in 

 vegetable and flower gardens, attacking many different kinds of plants. 

 They are nocturnal in habit, hiding during the day beneath stones, clods of 

 earth, etc. 



Remedies. — As they come out to feed in the evening, an excellent remedy 

 is to broadcast lightly over the soil, before nightfall, freshly slaked lime. 

 This adheres to their bodies and soon kills them. Three applications on 

 consecutive evenings are advisable. Shingles placed here and there through- 

 out an infested garden and under low growing plants will attract many slugs, 

 forming as they do suitable shelters for these creatures. If the shingles are 

 turned over in the morning the slugs there hiding may be easily destroyed 

 by scraping them off and crushing them with the foot. 



