100 AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 



The fourth is found only on the seed-stalk branches of the 

 lettuce, and the applications above named for the hop may be 

 used for this, if found needful. 



CUCUMBER BUG. (Striped.) 

 GALERUCA VITTATA. 



The striped cucumber bug is an active black and yellow 

 Fig. es. striped beetle, about one fourth of an inch long, 



which attacks the cucumber, melon, and other 

 kindred plants, especially when from any cause 

 those plants become diseased or checked in 

 growth. It eats the leaf tissue until the veins 

 only are left as a net-work, and fastens upon 



a, natural size ; , * . , - , ,, 



6, magnified. the stem just at the surface ot the ground, and 

 eats into its substance. Fortunately, well-cultivated and 

 healthly plants escape it almost entirely, or easily outgrow its 

 injuries ; but plants in poor or cold soil, or where the seed is 

 sown or planted while spring is yet only coming, or too direct- 

 ly upon heating manure put into the hills, or in a continuous 

 drouth in hot sand or gravel, will either perish quickly under 

 its attacks, or linger along and fail at last in spite of effort to 

 restore them. 



Various preventives, some of which may be worthy of far- 

 ther trial, have been suggested, such as planting an onion, or 

 a tomato, etc., in each hill. Numerous remedies have also 

 been proposed, as soot, lime, ashes, plaster, snuff, etc., to which 

 may be added, as equally efficient, sand. They are all mere 

 temporary disturbers of the insect, which, from its timidity, 

 retreats instantly upon the slightest annoyance, either hiding 

 quickly under leaves, or in the earth, or at once flying away. 

 They may apparently be almost driven in a flock by a liberal 

 broadcast of any powder, but for the rest, even if it be Scotch 

 snuff, it may be presumed they only sneeze. 



Let your ground, then, for these crops be thoroughly pre- 

 pared, wait for warm weather to plant in, and when the young 

 plants appear, let them have prompt and continued care, and, 

 if need be, stimulus, as liquid manure, until they are beyond 



