DISEASES OF GARDEN VEGETABLES. 65 



land of a slovenly farmer, infests the entire district next 

 yeai*, no matter how diligently other farmers apply 

 themselves to its eradication. 



Insects attacking garden plants may, in a slight 

 degree, compensate for their injuries, by the agreeable 

 study they afford to one of an investigating turn of 

 mind. The eggs can be gathered and hatched under 

 glass, or, better, under wire gauze, and the larva? of 

 many species observed passing through the various 

 transformations to the fully developed winged insect. 

 Flying insects can be caught in a scoop net placed on 

 the end of a pole, and, when caught, can be killed by suf- 

 focation by the fumes of ammonia, or, more promptly, 

 by chloroform or ether. Beetles can be killed by fumes 

 of cyanide of potassium in a corked bottle, but this is 

 recommended cautiousl}^, as its fumes are a deadly poison. 



CHAPTER XL 



Diseases of Garden Vegetables, 



How^ever much insect depredations may be dreaded 

 by the gardener, he, at least, lias some recourse against 

 the grubs, worms, snails, caterpillars and bugs, by de- 

 stroying them after some trouble, or by holding them in 

 check by poisonous applications, so as finally to secure a 

 crop. Not so, however, w^th fungous growths, which, 

 intimately connected with the structure and circulation 

 of the host plant, cannot always be destroyed by solu- 

 tions poisonous to vegetable growth, for, with the fun- 

 gus, the supporting plant may suffer equally with the 

 parasite. 



The Legislature of the State of New York has set a 

 good example by the passage of a law authorizing the 

 5 



