114 



VEGETABLE GROWING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



The adult moth is dark-grey on the body and wings, with two rows of 

 pink patches on the upper surface of the hind half of the body. 



Once an attack has commenced; spraying with arsenate of lead (see page 129) 

 can be recommended where the foliage is not very thick. This would be 

 more effective against the young stages of the caterpillars. In dense plots 

 of sweet potatoes there seems to be nothing to do except to now and again 

 shake the plants and search for and destroy the caterpillars. 



To prevent an infestation, turn up the soil in autumn and winter to 

 expose and destroy hibernating pupa? in areas where they have previously 

 attacked the crop. 



In January, 1903, caterpillars attacked the sweet potato vines at Hawkes- 

 buiy Agricultural College, and some of them grew to an immense size while 

 feeding on the leaves. They completely denuded certain plants of leaves and 

 stems, but a single application of Paris green destroyed them, after which 

 the plants threw out fresh leaves, and seemed none the worse for the attack. 



Cutworm (Noctuidce). 



The cutworm caterpillars, so prevalent in gardens, are generally found to 

 be the grubs of the small brown Bugong moth. Swarms of this moth are 



in evidence about March, and each 

 female lays several hundred eggs 

 on weeds and grass. These may 

 hatch in April, and the cater- 

 pillars do considerable damage to 

 seedlings. 



It is of interest to note that 

 though the frosts of winter destroy 

 numbers of these caterpillars, and 

 cold greatly retards their activity, 

 yet they can be quite a serious 

 pest in early winter. Numbers of 

 the full-grown caterpillars pupate 

 at this time, of course, and thus 

 pass through the cold weather, 

 emerging presently as the moths 

 that lay the eggs from which the 

 spring brood of caterpillars is 

 hatched. 



The habits of other cutworms 

 differ slightly. They feed at night 

 or dusk, or on cloudy days, attack- 

 ing vegetables and garden plants. 

 During the daytime they shelter 

 Trench for destroying Cutworms approaching in loose go ^ <jead l ea ves, or at 



