4 



METHODS OF CONTROLLING TOBACCO INSECTS. 



similar localities. The beetles begin to emerge from hibernation in 

 Kentucky and Tennessee in March, generally about the time the young 

 tobacco plants are appearing in the plant beds. The young and 

 tender plants furnish a favorite food for the beetles, and unless the 

 beds are well protected by canvas considerable damage is sure to 

 result. The flea-beetle also seriously injures tobacco in the held. 

 The writer has observed fields where numbers of plants were killed 

 by its ravages. The young leaves were riddled with holes (fig. 4) and 

 new foliage was completely devoured as fast as it appeared. 



The tobacco flea-beetle occurs upon many species of solanaceous 

 plants, as it has been found feeding upon tomato, potato, horse nettle, 

 ground cherry, and "jirnson weed" {Datura stramonium). It lays its 

 eggs on or near the base of the stems of these plants and also upon 

 the stems of young tobacco plants. The principal injury to tobacco 

 is occasioned by the feeding of the adults upon the foliage, although 



Fig. 4.— Leaf of young tobacco plant, showing work of the tobacco flea-beetle. (Original.) 



the larvae occasionally do considerable damage to the young plants 

 by feeding upon the roots and stems. 



PREVENTIVE MEASURES. 



Properly canvased beds escaped uninjured in 1907. Only whole, 

 strong canvas should be used, with boards or straight logs for the 

 sides of the bed, banking up the earth 3 or 4 inches against the sides 

 so that no holes are left beneath the logs, and fastening the canvas 

 closely and securely to the sides. Beds canvased in this way will 

 not suffer from flea-beetle attack. 



" The biology of this insect has been carefully worked out by Dr. F. H. Chittenden 

 in Bulletin No. 10, of this office, pp. 79-82, and in Bulletin No. 19, pp. 85-87. 



