24 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO STAPLE CROPS. 



roots of Solonaceous weeds during the larval stage, and 

 attack all sorts of garden and truck crops as adults; one of 

 the Corn Bill-bugs lives in the roots of a wild grass as a 

 larva, but is injurious to corn as a beetle. The w^eeder 

 (!an^ therefore, be occasionally used as an insecticide as 

 effectually as the spray-pump. 



Burning. 



To start a prairie fire in order to destroy all the insect 

 life of the j)lain might ^irove to be poor policy, but the 

 careful use of the torch has a distinct place upon the farm 

 in controlling its insect foes. The burning over of stubble 

 and grass land will very largely aid in or secure the entire 

 extermination of Army-worms, Chinch-bugs, Locusts, 

 and Wheat Joint-worms. Raking up and burning the 

 vines will be excellent practice against the Squash-borer, 

 Squash-bug, Potato Stalk-borer, and Hop Plant-louse, 

 while the removal and burning of all wild ^^l^mi-trees in 

 their vicinity will greatly lessen the damage to hops by 

 the latter pest. 



Deep Fall Plowing. 



Deep fall plowing is being increasingly recommended 

 for the reduction of many pests, and will be found to be 

 of advantage for the Corn Stalk-borer, Corn Ear-worm, 

 Cutworms, Locusts, and Wireworms. In both burning 

 and fall j^lowing the object is to kill that stage in which 

 the insect passes the winter. 



But this method does not affect all of these insects in 

 the same manner. Some insects will be destroyed by 

 having the cells in which they have gone to pass the winter 

 broken up, and being thrown up to the surface, they will 



