196 SCIENCE OF HOME AND COMMUNITY 



with a gallon of water. In small gardens the insects may be 

 hand picked by knocking off the insects with a stick into a 

 dish containing kerosene. When setting out plants, like 

 tomatoes and cabbages, they may be protected from cut- 

 worms by putting tin cans or a collar of heavy paper around 

 them. A simple way of combating the cucumber beetle found 

 on vine crops is to plant an abundance of seeds (10-1 5) in each 

 hill. The harm is done chiefly to young plants. The beetles 

 will not usually kill all of this number, and after the plants 

 have become larger and the danger is past, they may be 

 thinned out to three or four plants. Young plants can also 

 be protected by setting over them a frame covered with 

 cheesecloth. 



LABORATORY EXERCISE 24 



Purpose. To study the activities of some garden insects. 



Apparatus. Insect breeding cages, garden insects. 



Directions, i. Simple breeding cages may be made out of 

 shoe boxes by cutting a hole in the cover and fastening over it 

 a piece of mosquito netting. Or a lantern globe may be placed 

 in a flowerpot filled with moist sand. Any glass receptacle 

 such as a canning jar may be used. 



2. Secure insects from the garden, bringing in also a piece 

 of the plant on which they are feeding. Keep them in a breed- 

 ing cage and bring in fresh leaves each day to feed them. Secure 

 also some beneficial insects like the lady beetle and larva of the 

 lace-winged fly. 



3. Study the various insects, noting in each case : (a) general 

 appearance by which it may be identified; (b) nature of harm 

 or good done ; (c) stages in which harmful or beneficial ; (d) 

 method of eating ; (e) chief methods of locomotion. 



4. If desired the insects may be mounted as explained in 

 Hodges, Nature Study and Life, Chapter IV. 



Storing vegetables for winter. If the garden is large 

 enough, the family may be supplied with vegetables not 



