INSECTS ON THE FARM 



309 



flies, braconids, chalcis flies, tachina flies, and bee flies. Pre- 

 dacious and parasitic insects are very numerous, both in indi- 

 viduals and in species. They are the most destructive foes of 

 insect life. Were 

 it not for these in- 

 sects feeding upon 

 injurious ones the 

 loss to crops would 

 be much greater 

 than it is, and in 

 many cases it would 

 be almost futile to 

 attempt to check 

 injurious insects. 



399. Preventing 

 and controlling in- 

 sect injuries: clean 

 farming. Clean cul- 

 ture means the de- 

 struction of weeds, 

 the removal of all 

 crop remnants as 

 soon as the crop is 

 gathered, and the 

 burning of rubbish . 

 Such insects as 

 the cabbage worm, 

 harlequin cabbage 

 bug, and squash 

 bug pass the winter 

 in the old cabbage 

 stumps left in the 

 field, or in weeds 



and grass growing near by. The farmer should destroy all 

 hiding places that may be of service to the insects for winter 

 quarters. Clean farming helps greatly in controlling insects. 



FIG. 155. Materials and methods for mounting 

 insects 



A, a collecting net made of broom handle, wire, and cheese- 

 cloth or mosquito netting ; B, a cyanide bottle for killing 

 insects ; C, D, F, method of pinning flies, beetles, and bugs, 

 respectively ; , small insects mounted on cardboard points ; 

 G, method of spreading butterflies. (After Dean) 



