218 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



among tlie loaves and brancLes, tlicroTjy ruiilcing the escape of any larvae all tlie more 

 •aucertiiin. Tlie lirno is also bciiedciitl to llic asparagus rootH, liasteuiiig tlie decompo- 

 silion of the raauurc usually applied in large qnautiiioa to the beds. For thepastsix- 

 teen years I have used lime as described on my asparagu.s beds, to keep the insect in 

 question in check, and it has done it so effectually that about one application every 

 alternate season has been sufficient. 



The New York Tribune has the following in reply to queries respect- 

 ing this insect : 



Experience ehoTTS that it will not harm the roots of the plant to cut off and bum the 

 tops before or at the time of blossoming. In fact one remedy that has been used with 

 success is to cut down in spring all the plants upon the farm tha,t are not used or in- 

 tended for market, hoeing up the young seedlings that, as is well known, annxially 

 start in the beds from the last year's seed. By this method the mother beetle is forced 

 to lay her eggs upon the large shoots from the old stools ; and as these are cut and sent to 

 the market every few days, there are no eggs left to hatch out into larvae for the sec- 

 ond brood of beetles. By concerted action in following out this plan, this insect could 

 be kept in check. In. those localities where asx^aragus has run wild it would be nec- 

 essary to destroy the wild asparagus also. In case the plants have been allowed to 

 grow up the larvae may be controlled by dusting lime over the plants when these are 

 wet with dew and while the larvae are young. Lime has but little effect upon the per- 

 fect beetle, and its use early in the season, when the first brood of beetles is about, is 

 objectionable from the fact that it soils the marketable stalks. The first remedy is, 

 therefore, by far the best. 



Recent communications from Messrs. Valentine Frost, and S. S. Un- 

 derhill, of Locust Valley, prominent* Queens County, Long Island, 

 asparagus growers, confirm the practicability of the first remedy men- 

 tioned in the above quotation, namely, destroying all so-called *' volun- 

 teer growth," and forcing the mother beetle to lay her eggs only upon 

 the market shoots which are cut frequently enough to prevent the eggs 

 from hatching. Should any escape this method and hatch, Mr. Under- 

 bill advises going over the field in the heat of the day and brushing the 

 worms from the plants with a leafy twig. They fall to the hot ground 

 and generally perish. This is advised in preference to the lime dusting. 

 According to Mr. Frost, experiments were made some seasons ago with 

 the lime, but no apparent good being accompUslied, it was discontinued. 



THE MELON-WORM. 



{Phakcllura hyalinaiaUs Linn.) 

 Order Lepidopteea ; family Pyralidae. 



E.ating cavities into melons, cucumbers, and pumpkins at all stages of growth, and 

 also devouring their leaves, rather active yellow-green larvae from 30 to 35'^"' (IJ 

 inch) in length. (Plate III, figs. .'5, G.) 



FhaMlura hyalinaiaUs has long been well known to entomological 

 collectors from its beauty and abundance in certain localities ; but has 

 received almost no attention from economic workers. Guen6e speaks 

 of it as one of the most abundant of exotic Pyralids, and, in giving its 

 geographical distribution, says : " Very common in ail Amei-ica. I have 

 received it from Brazil, from Colombia, from Hayti, from Korth Amer- 

 ica, and from French Guiana." Certain authors are inclined to think 

 that it may also be found in Europe, and Stephens states that it has 

 actually been captured in Devonshire near Plymouth, but Guen^e con- 

 siders this an accidental introduction, and thinks that it cannot be con- 

 sidered as an European species. 



As to tlie food plant of the larva Guen6e simply states that it lives 

 npon the pumpkins, watermelons, and other cucurbitaceous plants. 



Li the July, 1875, number of Field and Forest a short account is given 



