406 ECONOMIC INSECTS 



Paris green may be mixed with large quantities of finely sifted 

 ashes, road dust or air-slaked lime; and the mixture may be used 

 as a dust upon the plants when they are moist with dew. 



Tomato or Sphinx worms are the larvae of hawk moths or 

 sphinx moths. They eat the leaves of tomato, tobacco and 

 other closely related plants. As the feeding is in the open, they 

 may be controlled by the use of poison spray, such as Paris 

 green and arsenate of lead. Judgment should be used to avoid 

 spraying too shortly before harvesting the crop. When there is 

 danger in the use of poison, the "worms" are sometimes picked 

 off into cans of kerosene-on-water. Trap crops may be grown near 

 the main crop; and poison may be used freely on the trap plants. 

 The insect passes the winter in the form of a brown or leather-like 

 pupa having a loop resembling a jug handle near one end. The 

 adults emerge in early summer to lay their eggs. 



Squash vine borers attack the stems of melons, pumpkins, 

 squash and other green vine crops. They feed along the inside 

 of the stems and kill the plants. The adults are moths which lay 

 their eggs on the young plants about the time the young plants 

 begin to form vines. 



The most practical remedy is to stimulate the growth by use 

 of manure in the hill and by thorough culture. The vines should 

 all be covered with a little loose moist soil at distances of one to 

 two feet from the main root. This will cause new roots to form 

 which may save a number of the vines. The borers may be killed 

 by running a knife along the affected parts, before the vines are 

 killed. 



Striped cucumber beetles are very destructive to the green 

 vine crops, by feeding on all parts. They fly readily, and often 

 gather on the leaves of plants in great numbers, retarding the 

 growth or killing the plants. It is when the plants are young 

 that there is the greatest danger. 



The larvse live in the larger roots of the same plants and do 

 much damage while feeding there. The adults live over winter, 

 and all vines where they may be hiding should be destroyed after 

 the crop is harvested. 



Gardeners often use box frames, about 2 by 2 feet and six or 

 eight inches deep, covered with wire netting, to keep off the striped 

 beetles. These frames are placed over the hills when sprouting 

 begins and are kept there until the plants fill them. The same 

 frames may be used several seasons. 



