ASPAHAGUS BKETLE. 19 



in a fortnight, and then to go down into the ground, where they form 

 a cocoon, and change within it to the pupa, from which, in about two 

 or three weeks, the beetle comes up to start new attack. 



The insects may be found in all stages from June, or earlier in the 

 summer, until the end of September, and the light brown condition of 

 shoots, or even of whole plants of Asparagus which have been killed 

 by the attack, are a plain sign of the presence of the infestation. 



Prevention and Eemedies. — When attack is found present, the 

 measures most needed are any treatment which will make the grubs 

 fall, and either by destroying them, or making the shoots disagreeable 

 to them, preventing their return. Syringing with water, as warm as 

 can be used without injuring the leafage, acts very well in making the 

 grubs loose hold (especially if a smart tap is given to the shoot directly 

 afterwards) ; and dry soot thrown over them at once, while on the 

 ground, has been found very satisfactory in preventing their return to 

 the plants. Dipping the infested shoots in a mixture of half a pound of 

 soft-soap, a quarter of a pound of flour of sulphur, and about the same 

 quantity of soot, mixed in a pail of warm water, is a remedy which I 

 have previously noticed as answering well by clearing the grubs off 

 thoroughly ; and with a syringing on the following day to clean the 

 plants, they soon regain their healthy appearance. 



The above methods are of old standing as being successful, but 

 probably some of the regular trade mixtures, which have become pur- 

 chasable in this country in the last few years, would answer as well or 

 better, and save a deal of time and trouble. Such are the mixture of 

 soft-soap and sulphur, sold under the name of the " Chiswick Com- 

 pound," in which the sulphur becomes perfectly dissolved after being 

 mixed for about sixteen hours with water ; or the mixture sold under 

 the name of Little's " Anti-pest," composed of soft-soap with additions, 

 making it in some degree similar in action to the mineral oil emulsions, 

 so much relied on as insecticides in American use.* With the help of 

 these, and the (also) recently introduced "Knapsack" sprayer, pro- 

 bably the Asparagus Beetle infestation could be promptly cleared from 

 Asparagus grounds, even where it is cultivated by the acre. 



Beetles may, to a certain extent, be got rid of by having careful 

 workers, who will not shake the plants until the right minute, to jar 

 the stems so that the beetles may fall into a pail of any sticky material 

 held below to receive them ; and sometimes it is worth while to sacrifice 

 some of the shoots in order to destroy the eggs before hatching, taking 

 care to burn these infested pieces ; also hand-picking of the grubs is of 

 some service if salt or soot, or something unpleasant to the creature, 



* For addresses where these mixtures are purchasable, see Index. 



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