134 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



skunks. They are not apt to be abundant in any but 

 grass land recently broken up. They are exceedingly hard 

 to destroy on account of their remaining so long in the soil. 

 When young plants are seen to be wilting from the effects 

 of the grub, they may sometimes be taken up, the grub 

 removed, and the plant reset. When lawns or other 

 grass lands are badly affected they should be broken up 

 and grown in some cultivated crop for two years. The 

 beetles should be trapped when they become abundant, 

 as recommended for cut-worm moths. Such animals as 

 moles and shrews should generally be permitted or even 

 encouraged in our lawns and gardens and the little damage 

 they generally do suffered patiently, since they are among 

 our best friends and destroy immense numbers of white' 

 grubs and other insects that live in the ground and are 

 difficult for us to reach. They are seldom abundant except 

 where insects are .numerous. 



Maggots (Anthomyia sp.). They are often destructive 

 to the seed or roots of a variety of plants, including onions, 

 cabbage, cauliflower, and similar plants; they also attack 

 the seed of corn, peas, beans, and other vegetables in some 

 seasons. 



Life History. The maggot here referred to is the larva 

 of a fly somewhat resembling the house fly, but brown in 

 color. The eggs are laid in or near the surface of the 

 ground, generally on the food plants, and hatch out in 

 about two weeks into maggots, that commence to feed at 

 once and finally become one-half inch long; these change 

 in two weeks more to flies. This insect winters over in 

 the pupa state in the ground. 



Remedies. When this insect attacks onions the infested 

 plants turn yellow and look sickly, and all of them should 

 be pulled and destroyed. The same treatment should be 



