4.2 Strawberry Culture 



of the strawberry. When the caterpillars are young they are of 

 a livid hue with bright stripes along the body. No remedy ex- 

 cept hand picking is known. 



MURKY GROUND-BEETLE (Harpalus calignosus). In 1898 

 a number of reports of .serious damage to the strawberry crop, 

 by an unknown enemy, were made to Professor Webster, of the 

 Ohio Station, from points in this state. By very careful inves- 

 tigations he discovered that this slim black beetle was doing the 

 work. The damage is done by eating the surface and seeds of 

 the berries. The beetle eats at night, and hides in the daytime. 

 So far as I have heard, the injurious work of this beetle has been 

 reported only in Ohio and New York up to the present time. 



TARNISHED PLANT BUG (Lygus pratensis) The following 

 is taken from a bulletin on this insect by Prof. J. M. Stedman, 

 by the Missouri Station in 1899: The bug is about one-fifth of 

 an inch long, half as broad, elliptical in shape and somewhat 

 flattened. It varies in color from dark brown, through light 

 brown to yellowish or yellowish green with darker or lighter 

 markings. The head is black or reddish. The under side of 

 the body is lighter than the back. The adults hibernate under 

 rubbish, stones, leaves, etc., come out on the first warm days 

 and commence their destructive work by piercing and sucking 

 the juices from the^leaf buds. The females soon lay eggs, which 

 hatch in a few days, when the young and adults attack the 

 flow r er buds. Several broods are brought out in one summer, 

 which, later in the season, attack the tender shoots and fruits of 

 great number of orchard and garden plants. The bug is very 

 lively and hard to catch except early in the morning. To this 

 bug is ascribed much of the "buttoning" of strawberries. 



The best remedy in case of attack on strawberries \sfresh 



