Common Insect Enemies 129 



testing to find out what an insecticide can or can't do against 

 the multitude of plant pests, but a lot has been found out 

 in the few years since the lethal properties of DDT were 

 first discovered. Here are just a few examples: 



In addition to its great effectiveness against the Colorado 

 potato beetle, as was mentioned in an earlier chapter, DDT 

 is highly effective against a number of other insects that at- 

 tack potatoes, as well as those that attack peas, beans, cab- 

 bages, corn, onions, cotton, and many other field crops. 

 Furthermore, it does a fine job against the numerous moths 

 and other inseas that attack fruits — ^peaches, apples, pears, 

 grapes, citrus fruits, and others. The flower lover will be 

 interested to know that DDT is probably the best insecticide 

 to use on his rose bushes as well as on his chrysanthemums, 

 snapdragons, and other flowers. If you are not a gardener 

 or a farmer, and if you would rather buy your flowers at the 

 florist than raise them yourself, this information will leave 

 you cold. But if you do engage in 'green thumb" activities, 

 you will want to know more about it. To satisfy everyone, 

 we have devoted a latter section of this book to specific uses 

 for DDT in agriculture, and there we tell you what prepara- 

 tions to use and how to use them. But whether you raise 

 food or merely eat it, you should know that DDT should not 

 be used on fruits or vegetables such as cabbage in the later 

 stages of their development, for under such conditions suf- 

 ficient DDT might be left on the produce as it goes to market 

 to give the consumer a slight case of poisoning. However, 

 if satisfactory methods are developed to remove DDT from 

 fruits after they are harvested, it will probably prove advan- 

 tageous to continue the use of DDT for a longer portion of 

 the growing season. 



In order to give a complete picture, it should also be 



