Insects and Sprays 167 



Melons, cucumbers, and squash vines are often 

 attacked by the yellow striped squash-bug when the 

 plants are very young. A sure way of preventing 

 their attack is to cover the vines with mosquito net- 

 ting, covering the edges with soil to hold the netting 

 in place. This should be done as soon as the vines 

 can be seen, even before will be better, and should 

 remain in place until the vines push for room. 



Cucumber plants and melons usually have a hard 

 fight with aphis in June. They work on the under 

 side of the leaves which curl up and are difficult to 

 spray. Spraying with kerosene, tobacco dust, or 

 whale-oil soap will kill them. They are difficult 

 to reach after once having a start, and the safest 

 thing is to destroy all infested plants. 



Late in the season the squash, pumpkin, canta- 

 loupe, cucumber, and watermelon plants are likely 

 to be attacked by the cucumber-beetle. The plants 

 should be sprayed with pure kerosene in order that 

 the bugs may be destroyed even though the garden- 

 ing season is about over, for these little pests 

 hibernate during the winter and will attack the 

 plants in 'the spring as soon as they appear above 

 the ground. 



Many insects, such as the asparagus-beetle, 

 squash-bugs, and a host of others, hibernate all 



