TOBACCO CULTURE 141 



4. Insect Enemies 



The tobacco plant is subject to fewer enemies than most 

 other farm crops, yet much damage at times results from 

 the ravages of certain insects. 



The tobacco flea-beetle. The tobacco flea-beetle or 

 "flea bug" is widely distributed and does much harm to 

 growing tobacco. It is a small insect, oval in shape and 

 reddish-brown in color. The beetles usually appear in 

 July, beginning their attack on the lower leaves and grad- 

 ually proceeding to the upper. The leaves upon which the 

 beetles have fed shew small dry spots which later become 

 holes through the leaf. As the leaf is the valuable part 

 of the plant it is evident that great damage may be done 

 the crop by these pests. 



A few simple remedies are effective in large degree in 

 destroying the tobacco flea-beetle. First f since the insect 

 thrives on several different kinds of weeds, such as the 

 jimson and various nightshades, the margins of the field 

 should be kept clear of all weeds that might serve to 

 harbor the beetles. Second, a few clumps of such weeds 

 may be left at certain places about the field to attract the 

 insects and these clumps then treated with arsenate of 

 lead or any other of the arsenical sprays. Third, the to- 

 bacco plants themselves may be sprayed with similar 

 poisons. 



The tobacco horn worm or "hornblower." This in- 

 sect, which is also found in almost every part of the to- 

 bacco region, frequently causes great damage. The horn 

 worm is the larva, or caterpillar, of either one of two spe- 

 cies o-f sphinx moths. The worm is from two to three 

 inches in length, green in color, with the horn, or tail, end 

 of the body either red or black, depending on the species 

 to which it belongs. 



