lUO 
of sweet corn, tomatoes, beans and peas for canning, and of encum- 
bers for pickbng, is becoming a prominent industry, and the same is 
(rue of melon-growing in many parts of the state. Cucumbers, to- 
matoes, lettuce, and radishes are extensively grown in hothouses, 
as well as out-of-doors. 
The gardening regions are more or less divided into areas in 
each of which a certain class of products is cultivated. For example, 
a strip of ground half a mile or a mile in width may l)e used for 
onion culture almost exclusively, or it may be in potatoes or cabbage, 
or both, or it may be devoted to general gardening. 
The more 'intensive the culture of a crop, the more important be- 
comes the control of its insect enemies. Land is especially desirable 
for vegetable gardens near the market centers, and as these are al- 
most invariably large cities, such land has a high value, and the 
greatest possible returns must be realized from it. To insure this 
the control of injurious insects becomes of great, if not prime, im- 
portance. 
General Farm Methods for the Control of Insects 
Clean Culture. — Probably the most valuable of all farm practices 
for the control of insects is clean culture, by which is meant the 
clearing away of all useless vegetation, and the numerous other 
general measures which leave for insects no sutificient winter shel- 
ter, or adequate protection from the weather, the birds, and other 
natural checks upon their numbers. In fall, rubbish of every kind, 
and especially standing unmarketable cabbages and onions, should 
be collected and destroyed, to deprive insects of their breeding and 
hiding places. These methods are particularly helpful in destroy- 
ing cabbage and onion maggots, cutworms, thrips, plant-lice, potato- 
beetles, and striped cucumber-beetles. In the summer likewise, and 
especially early in spring, it is important to keep down the weeds, 
for they promote a rapid multiplication of insects, and provide tem- 
porary breeding places for some species pending the appearance of 
their special garden food-plants. An early cutting of weeds is fur- 
ther beneficial by preventing their seeding. 
Importance of Healthy and Vigorous Plants. — It is a common 
observation that healthy and vigorous plants withstand the attacks 
of insects much better than weak and neglected ones. One of the 
principal requirements for vigorous growth is fertility of the soil. 
Good seed is necessarily an important item, and, further, it should 
be properly planted and the crop should be thoroly cultivated to 
secure strong and healthy plants. Such plants will also endure the 
effects of drouth for a much longer time than weaker plants. 
Rotation of Crops. — Crop rotation is one of the most valuable 
of the cultural methods for preventing insect attack. As a rule, it 
i 
