166 INSECTS AFFECTING VEGETATION 



that the practice of removing the old leaves regularly will take care 

 of the pests, as the borers will in this way be destroyed just as fast 

 as they come, and the new stalks will be found to be free after a 

 little time. The insect also feeds on dock, and for this reason, it 

 is well to destroy all the docks in the vicinity of rhubarb plants. 



INSECTS AFFECTING THE SQUASH. 



Squash-Vine Borer. It often happens that squash-vines sud- 

 denly wilt, just as they are getting a nice start. This may be due to 

 one of several causes, sometimes a bacterial disease is the cause and 

 sometimes one of the fungous diseases; often, however, one finds on 

 examination that there is a grublike borer in the hollow stem, and 

 that a tunnel has been gnawed down into the roots. Here the borer 

 dwells, sometimes above and at others below the level of the soil. 

 When full-grown, this grub leaves the tunnel and pupates near by in 

 the soil. In the following spring the adult appears. The adult is 

 a very pretty insect belonging to the family of moths known as 

 clear-wings, because the wings of many of its members are partially 

 transparent. The moth of the squash-borer measures about one and 

 one-fourth inches across the extended wings, from tip to tip, the 

 front wings being green and the hind-wings clear. The body is 

 reddish except for the basal part which is green like the front-wings. 

 The hind-legs each bear a fringe of long hairs. The species is said 

 to be single brooded in this part of the country. Further south 

 it is double-brooded. 



The remedies for this pest are three in number. The results 

 are most satisfactory when all throe are used together. 



Trap Plants. Fortunately the borer works in summer-squash 

 as well as in the winter varieties, the summer-squash planted be- 

 tween the rows of winter-squash, will attract the majority of the 

 borers. Later, when they have all become settled in their burrows, 

 the early varieties may be pulled up and burned leaving the later 

 ones free from the borers. Many times it is possible to cut out the 

 larvae by making a longitudinal slit in the vine. 



Last, but perhaps best of all, the vines may be induced to put 

 out roots at short intervals by placing a little soil over the joints, 

 thus supplying plenty of food to the vine even after the tap-root has 

 been destroyed. If the plant escapes until it has commenced to run 

 well, it is easy to induce roots to grow by pulling a couple of hoefuls 

 of soil over some of the joints. 



Cucumber-beetle (see Insects of the Cucumber). 



Squash-bug (see Insects Affecting the Cucumber). 



TOMATO AND TOBACCO. 



These two plants may be associated together, as the same in- 

 sects are liable to attack both. Cutworms early in the season are 

 very destructive to the young plants, but may be warded off by the 

 use of the poisoned bran-mash. The leaves are liable to be attacked 

 by the Flea-beetles, the Tarnished Plant-bug and Grasshoppers. 

 The most conspicuous enemy of both plants is 



Five-Spotted Hawk Moth, or Tomato Worm. This is a large 

 caterpillar, attaining to a length of nearly four inches when fully 



