268 



ARID AGRICULTURE. 



come out before planting time, when they may 

 be destroyed. 



POTATO FLEA 

 BEETLES 



CABBAGE 

 WORMS 



The potato flea beetle is doing much damage 

 in some of the potato sections of the West. The 

 larva of this beetle goes into the ground and 

 feeds, on the potato. They produce what is 

 called "crack" and make unsightly burrows un- 

 derneath the skin. The beetles which come from 

 these larvae are little brown, or black fellows 

 which jump like the turnip flea beetle. The 

 beetles feed on the potato leaves, making small 

 holes in them. The question of destroying 

 these beetles in potato fields seems to be one 

 largely of rotation of crops. There are several 

 forms which feed upon many other plants, more 

 especially turnips, radishes, mustard and the 

 like. They may be destroyed by the use of pyre- 

 thrum or Persian Insect Powder, put on the 

 plants very early in the morning before sunrise, 

 or they may be kept away from plants by sprink- 

 ling ashes, slacked lime or sulphur over them. 

 A spray of bordeaux mixture will serve the same 

 purpose. 



There are two forms of the cabbage worm 

 which are very common in the West. One is a 

 butterfly caterpillar and the other is the cater- 

 pillar of a moth. They may be destroyed, when 

 the cabbages are small, by Paris green or ar se- 

 nate sprays. Such sprays on the outside leaves 



