:524 NEW JERSEY AGEICULTUKAL COLLEGE 



-■at all numerous in our State until late in the summer or in early 

 :fall, and some diseased si>ecimens are always fuuid at that time. 

 ^N'ature has provided us with a very good natural cheek in liiis 

 ••case which seems to become active under the same conditions that 

 rfavor the development of the insects themselves. 



AsiKiragus beetles seem to have been more abundant during the 

 past season than for some time past. For several years very little 

 trouble has lxM?n caused and very few complaints have heen re- 

 '^eived. This year reports of injury came from several points, and 

 they were noted as abundant in the course of field work, showing 

 that some general conditions favored the increase of the insects. 



Boot maggots on onions and cabbages were very common in some 

 localities and much damage was caused. The life history of these 

 insects is pretty well known, but up to the present time there is 

 no entirely satisfactory method of dealing with them. A series 

 of experiments was planned early in the season, the co-oiDeration 

 •of a number of gTowers was secured, and Mr. Dickerson was en- 

 trusted with carrying out the details of the work. ^Yhile no final 

 results have yet been attained, and some of the experiments planned 

 •fould not be carried out because the materials were not all received 

 in time, some progress was made and an account of the work done 

 will be found on another page of this report. 



Flea beetles of several varieties were locally troublesome and 

 Avere reported in letters or noted in field work. Roses were in- 

 jured in Bergen county by the red-legged beetle, Crepidodera 

 rufipes, but the chief offender was the little black potato or tomato 

 flea, Epiirix cucnmeris. This has a wide range of food plants and 

 IS always more or less abundant. This season it got into young 

 tomato plants and caused more or less damage. Finely ground 

 "tobacco was used with satisfactory results and can usually he 

 relied u]X)n to check the trouble. Since it has become the practice 

 in some localities to spray the young plants with Bordeaux mix- 

 ture there is very little complaint of flea beetle injury, this mix- 

 ture also serving as an almost perfect protection. 



Wive-worms have been' locally troublesome and on a very great 

 A-ariety of plants. Potatoes always suffer to some extent and this 

 year was no exception, but an attack on peach pits is added to the 

 usual occurrences of the year. A nurseryman reports that they got 

 into the planted pits in the nursery rows and destroyed a notable 

 ;}iercentage of the young trees. Xothing new has developed in 



