THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



115 



as will be seen , the economy of this species is 

 nearly the same as that of the Tlireo-linetl Leaf 

 Beetle (Fiy. 17, p. 2G), whit-h pi'cys so exten- 

 sively on the potato plant in the Eastern States, 

 except that our larva does not cover itself with 

 its own dung, and instead of the Asparagus 

 Beetle passing the winter under gronnd in the 

 larva state, it passes the winter above gronnd 

 in the perfect; or beetle state. Eutomologieally, 

 the two species are closely allied, belonging to 

 ditTcrent genera of tiie same small sub-group of 

 the great group of lieef-fceding Beetles (P/ii/to- 

 /)/iiiga). and both arc what are commonly called 

 ••double-brooded" insects; that is, there are 

 two distinct broods every year, the one gener- 

 ated by the other. 



According to Dr. Fitch, who published an ex- 

 cellent account of the depredations of this insect 

 on Long Islaiul up to the year ISCj), one aspara- 

 gus grower there had Ihi^ee acres out of seven 

 '' almost ruined;'" and four others had aspara- 

 gus beds so badly injured that they plowed them 

 up. Throughout this entire region the general 

 idea up to 1862 seems to have been, that if this 

 beetle was not soon destroyed, the as^Jaragus 

 would be ; for every year the insect appeared to 

 spread further and further, extending already 

 for a distance of at least forty miles along the 

 northern side of Long l';land. and every year it 

 got to be more numerous and more destructive. 

 Lime, salt, potash, and a variety of other such 

 applications, had all been tried and found inef- 

 fectual as remedies ; domestic fowls, which as 

 Dr. Fitch ascertained, feed greedily upon the 

 beetles, could scarcely be used in sufficient num- 

 bei-s to clear fields of ten and twenty acres in 

 extent; and as to hand-picking twenty acre 

 fields, especially where the insect is so small, 

 that would be too discouraging an idea to be en- 

 tertained for a moment by any one. 



But in the year 1863, as we learn from Isaac 

 Hicks of Long Island, a deliverer appeared in 

 the form of a small shining black parasitic fly, 

 probably belonging either to the Chalets oi^ to 

 the Proctotrupes Family. Whether this Fly 

 lays its eggs in the eggs of the Asparagus Beetle, 

 or in the larva of that insect, does not seem to 

 be at present clearly ascertained ; but if the ac- 

 counts that we have received of it be correct, it 

 must do either one or the other. In the former 

 case, the larva that hatches out from the para- 

 sitic egg will consume the egg of the Asparagus 

 Beetle and entirely prevent it from hatching; 

 in the latter case it will destroy the larva before 

 it has time to pass into the perfect state. The 

 result, in either event, will be equally destruct- 

 ive to the bug and beneficial to the gardener. 



Thus, as we are told, "although the Asparagus 

 Beetle has not entirely ceased to trouble them 

 upon Long Islan<l since 186;!, it yet has never 

 siupc that year been of any very material dam- 

 age there. Upon a few farms it still strips the 

 plants in the latter part of summer, but not to 

 much extent or so as to entail any very serious 

 loss." On tliis very interesting and important 

 subject, we hope before long to be able to give 

 onr readers some moie precis(^ and definite in- 

 forniiilion. 



But the diniinulion in (lie numbers of the 

 ^V.-paragus Beetle is proba]>ly due in part to ar- 

 tificial, as ivcll us to natural causes. The Aspar- 

 agus growers upon Long Island have introduced 

 a method of fighting the insect, wliich is founded 

 upon correct principles, and seems to be followed 

 by very gratifying results. Early in the spring, 

 when the Beetle lias made its appearance and is 

 ready to la\' ils eggs, ••they destroy," us we are 

 informed, •• all the plants upon the farm except 

 the large plants for market, hoeing up all the 

 young seedlings that, as is well known, start 

 from the last year's seed every spring upon the 

 beds,"' Thus the mother-beetle is forced to lay 

 her eggs upon the large slioots from (he old 

 stools; and as these are cut and sent to market 

 e\ery few da\s, thci-c are lui eggs left to hatch 

 out into larv.-e for the second brood of beetles. 



At first sight we might suppose that it would 

 be possible, by carrying out the above system 

 rigidly to its utmost extent, to extirpate the in- 

 sect entirely. But unfortunately this can not be 

 done. Asparagus, according to Dr. Fitch, has 

 run wild to a considerable extent upon Long- 

 Island, -'and slender spindling stalks of it may 

 bc seen growing in all situations there, liy the 

 roadsides, in the fields and in the woods. Thus 

 the Asparagus Beetle has such an abundance ol 

 food everywhere presented to it, and the insect 

 is already occupying such an extent of territory, 

 that there seems to be Jio mode by which it is 

 now possible for us to efl'ect its extermination."' 



To many persons, perhaps, such a crop as As- 

 paragus may seem of but very trifling import- 

 ance, in a pecuniary point of view. But we 

 have already seen upon how large a scale it is 

 cultivated on Long Island, in the State of New 

 York ; and a writer in the American Journal of 

 Ilorticidture, who hails from New Jersey, re- 

 marks as follows: '-"We plant Asparagus in 

 great fields often to twenty acres. "Well plant- 

 ed, it will cost a hundred dollars to set an acre; 

 but it will continue productive for twenty years ; 

 and if properly cared for each acre will clear 

 two hundred dollars annually. There are men 

 all around me who have made small fortunes 

 out of this single article." 



