138 INSECTS AFFECTING VEGETATION 



pears suddenly in enormous numbers and sweeps like an army over 

 the land devouring everything that comes in its way. 



Happily a very simple and completely effective remedy has been 

 found for these destructive creatures. It is called the poisoned bran- 

 mash and is made in the following manner: Mix half a pound of 

 Paris green in 50 pounds of bran (the proportion for larger or 

 emaller quantities is 1 to 100) ; the poison should be added to the 

 dry bran little by little and stirred all the time till the whole is 

 tinged with the green color, then add water sweetened with 

 sugar, or molasses, till the mixture is sufficiently moistened to 

 crumble nicely through the fingers. If bran cannot be procured, 

 shorts or flour may be used, and for field work may be distributed 

 dry by means of seed drill. The mash should be scattered about 

 the plants that are liable to attack in the evening, and strange to 

 say the worms w r ill devour it in preference to their ordinary vegetable 

 food. When they begin to feel the effects of the poison they wander 

 off to find a hiding place or burrow in the ground and there die. 

 Their dead bodies will be readily found in the morning just below 

 the surface of the ground, often in surprising numbers. Young 

 plants, such as cauliflowers, tomatoes, etc., may be protected when 

 set out by wrapping a bit of newspaper around the stem between the 

 root and the leaves and reaching a little below the surface of the 

 ground. The worms will not attempt to bite through or climb 

 over it. 



Flea-Beetles. There are several species of these minute insects 

 which attack a large variety of plants ; some confine their attentions 

 to one or two kinds, while others are general feeders. The beetles 

 are about one-tenth of an inch in length, oval and convex in form, 

 usually shiny black or bronzed in color, sometimes ornamented with 

 broad, pale stripes along the back; they all possess enormously de- 

 veloped thighs on the hind legs by means of which they are enabled 

 to jump with great agility and hence have acquired the name of 

 Flea-beetles. They appear in early spring, often in large numbers, 

 and eat small holes in the foliage of young plants, preferably the 

 thick seed-leaves. The larvae, as far as known, feed for the most 

 part on the roots of weeds, as well as upon some garden vegetables ; 

 clean cultivation, especially of fence corners and bits of waste land, is 

 therefore of much importance in the control of these and many other 

 kinds of insects. The beetles may generally be found all through 

 the summer when they especially attack the foliage of potatoes, tur- 

 nips, beets, tomatoes, and many other plants. In many cases, 

 fungous diseases, such as potato blight, find suitable places for the 

 growth of their spores in the holes made in the leaves by these beetles. 



Cheese-cloth screens are very effective in warding off attacks 

 upon young plants, such as cucumbers, etc., but where their use is 

 not convenient or practicable the beetles may be controlled by the 

 use of the poisoned Bordeaux mixture, the combination being effec- 

 tive against both the insects and the fungous diseases. For tender 

 foliage arsenate of lead is preferable to Paris green as it is not SQ 

 likely to cause injury by burning. 



