320 Gardening 



which lasts until late summer or autumn. Then the 

 mature beetles appear and live through the winter under 

 such rubbish as dead plants, mats of grass, or even boards 

 that may be lying about. The beetle is only about f 

 inch long. Its color above is yellow, with a black head 

 and a black stripe along the edge of each wing cover. 

 When the wings are closed, these colors give the back the 

 appearance of having three stripes. 



The striped cucumber beetle passes through four 

 stages, quite the same as does the cabbage butterfly; 

 but it is of course a very different type of insect, both in 

 appearance and in habits. It is most injurious to vine 

 plants when in the adult stage, and it is then that it is 

 most easily destroyed. 



The five following methods of fighting the striped 

 cucumber beetle are the most effective that gardeners 

 know: 



(i) Early spraying. In spring it is well to spray the 

 plants of cucumbers and squashes, as soon as they appear 

 above the ground, with a solution of arsenate of lead of a 

 strength of 3 ounces to 5 gallons of water. As an ounce 

 of arsenate of lead is equal to about 5 heaping teaspoon- 

 fuls, the solution is made with 3 spoonfuls to i gallon of 

 water. Paris green is not used, because it is likely to 

 injure the leaves of cucumbers and squashes. 



(2) Use of trap plants. As the beetle prefers to feed 

 on the squash, hills of the summer squash or the Hubbard 

 squash may be planted among the cucumbers to act as 

 " trap plants." Then, when the beetles are feeding on 

 these, a sudden application of a spray of pure kerosene 

 will catch them and kill them before they can escape. 



