HERRICK] SOME ENEMIES OF THE GARDEN 115 



much in gardens. They are greenish in color and covered with a fine 

 whitish powder. They cluster on the upper and undersides of 

 the leaves and suck out the juices of the plant causing the leaves 

 to curl, wilt, and finally die. In the beginning of the infestation 

 the aphids are wingless but later, as the plants become crowded, 

 winged ones appear that fly to other plants where they start a 

 new infestation. It is by means of these individuals with wings 

 that the pest is gradually distributed all through a field. 



Since aphids are sucking insects they must be controlled by 

 some substance that will kill them when it. comes in contact with 

 their bodies. Kerosene emulsion will do this very effectively 

 but as it is rather bothersome to make; a tobacco extract known as 

 nicotine sulphate, is much more universally used to combat these 

 pests. Nicotine sulphate is a commercial preparation, the more 

 common brand of which is known as black-leaf-40 ; it contains 40 

 per cent, nicotine. For spraying most garden vegetables infested 

 with aphids or other sucking insects the black-leaf-40 is added to 

 water at the rate of three-fourths of a pint to 100 gallons of water 

 or, in smaller amounts, one teaspoonful to a gallon of water. 

 About three-fourths of an ounce of laundry soap should be dis- 

 solved and added to each gallon of the mixture. The soap in- 

 creases the efficiency of the solution. Care should be taken to 

 spray the undersides of the leaves. 



The Cabbage Looper: This caterpillar does not waste its time 

 by taking short steps with many little feet as do most caterpillars. 

 It reaches as far as it can with its front feet, takes hold then brings 

 its hind feet forward as far as possible by looping its body, thus 

 each step is measured by the length of its body. When we were 

 children we used to call the loopers "measuring worms" and 

 rather enjoyed having them measure our hands and fingers. The 

 true loopers are caterpillars of very delicate and beautiful moths 

 whose wings are marked with wavy lines. The cabbage looper 

 belongs to another family and in some parts of the country is a 

 very troublesome pest especially to late cabbage. The caterpillar 

 is from i to i J^ inches in length when full-grown, is pale-green in 

 color and indistinctly striped on the back and on each side with 

 whitish lines. It moves about with a looping gait like the common 

 measuring worms. On Long Island there may be three broods of 

 the insect in a single season. 



