INTRODUCTION 



Vegetables are subject to attack by insects from the time 

 the seed is planted until the edible portion is ready for cooking. 

 Insect injury manifests itself in different ways according to 

 the plant attacked, the insect concerned, the stage of the insect, 

 and the age aiul condition of the plant. 



Manifestations of Insect Injury. — If plants soon after the 

 seed has been sown fail to appear in due time, such failure is 

 apt to be attributed to unfavorable atmospheric 

 conditions or to imperfect seed, but examination 

 will frequently show that some insect is at work. 

 Among insects destructive to planted seed are 

 wireworms and root-maggots, and in some cases 

 insects that have fed on the seed stock while in 

 store are planted with the seed, and this they 

 destroy by eating out the germ. Familiar ex- 

 amples are the bean and pea weevils. 



Asparagus tips when ready for cutting are 



ruined for market by the asparagus beetles (see 



Fig. 1.— Aspara- ^&- "^ ) • ^^ plants like tomato that are reset are 



gus tip, showing cut ofif abruptly near the ground, cutworms are 



iry^ Asparagus nearly always at work. If the minute leaves of 



beetles. (Au- plants like cucumber, soon after beginning to 



thor's illustra- ^ , • i i 



tion.u.s.Dept. sprout, are found eaten away, causmg the plants 

 Agi") to die, cucumber beetles are present. Corn is 



similarly afifected by flea-beetles, as are also potato and other 

 vegetables. 



When stems or stalks of various plants are found with one 

 or more holes of varying size, from that of a straw to con- 

 siderably larger, this is evidence of a borer within, particularly 



