﻿19 
  

  

  grass, 
  roots, 
  etc. 
  The 
  egg 
  stage 
  occupies 
  from 
  nine 
  to 
  ten 
  days, 
  the 
  

   larval 
  stage 
  forty-one 
  days 
  (from 
  14th 
  March 
  to 
  24th 
  April). 
  The 
  

   pupal 
  stage 
  is 
  passed 
  in 
  the 
  soil 
  in 
  an 
  egg-shaped 
  chamber 
  excavated 
  

   by 
  the 
  larvae 
  at 
  depths 
  varying 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  three 
  inches. 
  Shortly 
  

   before 
  pupation 
  the 
  larvae 
  are 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  tunnelling 
  the 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  

   leaf- 
  stalks 
  and 
  boring 
  the 
  main 
  stem. 
  

  

  Various 
  remedial 
  measures 
  are 
  suggested. 
  The 
  protection 
  of 
  the 
  

   young 
  plant 
  is 
  very 
  important, 
  as 
  at 
  this 
  stage 
  it 
  is 
  liable, 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  hours, 
  

   to 
  be 
  greatly 
  injured 
  or 
  even 
  killed 
  by 
  a 
  single 
  beetle. 
  They 
  may 
  be 
  

   protected 
  by 
  covering 
  them 
  with 
  mosquito-netting 
  until 
  they 
  have 
  

   begun 
  to 
  grow 
  vigorously. 
  Such 
  covers 
  can 
  be 
  supported 
  by 
  pieces 
  of 
  

   fencing-wire, 
  bent 
  to 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  half 
  circles, 
  or 
  more 
  simply 
  by 
  a 
  

   few 
  short 
  sticks 
  stuck 
  into 
  the 
  ground. 
  The 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  netting 
  should 
  

   rest 
  on 
  the 
  earth, 
  and 
  be 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  layer 
  of 
  soil 
  to 
  prevent 
  dis- 
  

   placement 
  by 
  wind, 
  and 
  to 
  stop 
  the 
  beetles 
  from 
  crawling 
  under 
  it. 
  

   A 
  piece 
  of 
  crumpled 
  paper 
  hung 
  over 
  a 
  young 
  plant 
  and 
  supported 
  

   by 
  a 
  stick 
  driven 
  into 
  the 
  ground 
  at 
  an 
  angle, 
  is 
  asserted 
  to 
  keep 
  the 
  

   insects 
  off 
  by 
  its 
  movements 
  in 
  the 
  wind. 
  Plants 
  should 
  be 
  system- 
  

   atically 
  examined 
  in 
  the 
  spring, 
  and 
  any 
  beetles 
  found 
  should 
  be 
  killed 
  

   by 
  hand-picking. 
  Among 
  chemical 
  substances 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  applied 
  

   to 
  deter 
  the 
  insects 
  are 
  mentioned 
  the 
  following 
  : 
  — 
  (a) 
  refuse 
  of 
  

   acetylene 
  gas 
  manufacture 
  ; 
  (6) 
  ammoniacal 
  gas 
  water 
  ; 
  (c) 
  plaster 
  or 
  

   lime 
  impregnated 
  with 
  turpentine, 
  kerosene 
  or 
  phenyl 
  ; 
  {d) 
  tobacco 
  

   dust 
  ; 
  and 
  (e) 
  Vaporite 
  Strawson, 
  '•' 
  aperite," 
  or 
  other 
  such 
  substance 
  

   containing 
  naphthalene. 
  These 
  in 
  each 
  case 
  should 
  be 
  sprinkled 
  on 
  

   the 
  ground 
  around 
  the 
  growing 
  plant, 
  but 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  stem, 
  and 
  

   only 
  in 
  such 
  amount 
  as 
  to 
  bestow 
  a 
  marked 
  odour 
  upon 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  poisons 
  have 
  been 
  advocated 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time, 
  and 
  

   have 
  proved 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  serviceable 
  : 
  — 
  {a) 
  spraying 
  the 
  leaves 
  with 
  lead 
  

   arsenate 
  (1 
  lb.) 
  or 
  Paris 
  green 
  and 
  lime 
  (J 
  lb. 
  of 
  the 
  arsenical 
  to 
  ^ 
  lb. 
  

   lime) 
  in 
  every 
  50 
  gals, 
  water 
  ; 
  {b) 
  dusting 
  the 
  foliage 
  with 
  Paris 
  green 
  

   (1 
  lb.) 
  mixed 
  with 
  flour 
  or 
  road 
  dust 
  (20 
  lb.) 
  or 
  with 
  flowers 
  of 
  sulphur 
  

   (one 
  part) 
  and 
  lime 
  (three 
  parts). 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  insects 
  occur 
  in 
  large 
  numbers, 
  it 
  is 
  recommended 
  to 
  

   shake 
  them 
  from 
  the 
  foliage 
  into 
  shallow 
  pans 
  containing 
  a 
  little 
  water 
  

   and 
  kerosene. 
  This 
  method 
  is 
  best 
  practised 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  morning 
  or 
  

   during 
  a 
  spell 
  of 
  cold 
  weather, 
  when 
  the 
  beetles 
  are 
  inactive 
  and 
  less 
  

   inclined 
  to 
  fly. 
  

  

  In 
  some 
  cases 
  the 
  covering 
  of 
  young 
  seedUngs 
  could 
  be 
  avoided 
  by 
  

   raising 
  the 
  plants 
  in 
  cold 
  frames, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  get 
  them 
  transplanted 
  and 
  

   well 
  established 
  before 
  the 
  first 
  beetles 
  appear. 
  Old 
  plants 
  should 
  be 
  

   pulled 
  up 
  to 
  avoid 
  any 
  possibility 
  of 
  the 
  roots 
  affording 
  food 
  for 
  the 
  

   larvae. 
  

  

  Other 
  species 
  recorded 
  as 
  damaging 
  cucurbitaceous 
  plants 
  are 
  the 
  

   Plain 
  Pumpkin 
  Beetle 
  {Aulacophora 
  ivilsoni, 
  Baly), 
  the 
  Northern 
  

   Banded 
  Pumpkin 
  Beetle 
  {A. 
  cartereti, 
  Guerin), 
  and 
  the 
  28-spotted 
  

   Ladybird 
  Beetle 
  {Epilachna 
  28-punctata, 
  Fabr.) 
  The 
  remedial 
  

   measures 
  given 
  for 
  A. 
  olivisri 
  apply 
  equally 
  to 
  these 
  insects. 
  

  

  (CI.) 
  B 
  2 
  

  

  