54 



to include other food plants or most forms of vegetation iu order to 

 keep the insects away from the crop which is being injured. 



Kerosene emulsion is one of the best remedies, but must be applied 

 thoroughl}^ and at frequent intervals. 



Pj^rethrum must be applied in the same manner, but as it is one of 

 the most expensive of insecticides its use would hardly be profitable 

 on beets, although valuable on some other plants subject to injury, lor 

 example, on berries, where it is impossible to apply poisons that would 

 be harmful to man. 



If insecticides are employed they are best applied eari}^ m the morn- 

 ing, before the insects have become thoroughly active and while the 

 dew is on the plants, as this facilitates the spreading of most applica- 

 tions which are used. 



Hand methods, although scarcely applicable to large fields, are of 

 the greatest value over small areas, and a hand net of stout cloth is use- 

 ful for sweeping plants and surrounding grasses and weedy vegetation 

 in which the insect is sure to be found. A day's experience will be 

 sufficient to teach anyone that more insects can be captured in this 

 manner than in any other. 



Clean culture, although mentioned last, is the first necessity, and if 

 fields subject to injury by this plant-bug are kept free from weeds of 

 all kinds and the rubbish is cleaned away as soon as the crop is harvested-! 

 losses will be greatly lessened. After a crop is off "burning over" 

 or "back firing"" should be practiced in the same manner as already 

 described in connection with army worms and cutworms. 



THE FAIiSE CHINCH BUG. 



{Nysius anrjastatus TJhl. ) 



This plant-bug is a beet feeder of long standing, and like many 

 other species which have been mentioned, shows a tendenc}^ toward 

 being omnivorous, although cruciferous plants, such as cabbage and 

 turnip, appear to be the favorite food. It does more or less injury to 

 potato, lettuce, grapevine, strawberry, and even grass and the foliage 

 of apple trees. Its English cognomen is derived from the fact thSt 

 since very earh" times it has been sent b}^ correspondents to official 

 entomologists under the impression that it was the true chinch bug, 

 to which, indeed, it is related. 



It is grayish brown and of the appearance shown at figure 53, c, 

 measuring about one-eighth of an inch. In the same figure, at a^ a leaf 

 of potato is illustrated, which shows minute circular specks which are 

 rusty in color where the beak of the bug has been inserted. This recalls 

 the method of a*:tack of certain flea-beetles which have already been 

 described. When occurring in large numbers the false chinch bugs 

 crowd together on plants after the manner of chinch bugs on corn. 



