100 AMERICAN HOME GAKDEX. 



The fom-th is found only on the seed-stalk branches of the 

 lettuce, and the applications aljove named for the hop may he 

 used for this, if foimd needful. 



CUCUMBER BUG. (Striped.) 

 GALERUCA YITTATA. 



The striped cucumber bug is an active black and yellow 

 striped beetle, about one fom-th of an inch long, 

 which attacks the cuctunber, melon, and other 

 ==1 kindred plants, espiecially when from any cause 

 those plants become diseased or checked in 

 growth. It eats the leaf tissue until the veins 

 onlj^ are left as a net-work, and fastens upon 

 'b, magnifiei ' the Stem just at the surface of the ground, and 

 eats into its substance. Fortunately, well-cultivated and 

 healthly plants escape it almost entirely, or easily outgrow its 

 injuries ; but plants in poor or cold soil, or where the seed is 

 sown or planted while sjn-ing is yet only coming, or too direct- 

 ly upon heating mantu'e put into the hills, or in a continuous 

 drouth in hot sand or gravel, will either perish quickly under 

 its attacks, or linger along and fail at last in spite of effort to 

 restore them. 



Various preventives, some of which may be worthy of far- 

 ther trial, have been suggested, such as planting an onion, or 

 a tomato, etc., in each hill. Nitmerous remedies have also 

 been proposed, as soot, lime, ashes, plaster, snuif, etc., to which 

 may be added, as eqitally elBcient, sand. They are all mere 

 temporary distmbers of the insect, which, from its timidity, 

 retreats instantly upon the slightest annoyance, either hiding 

 quickly under leaves, or in the earth, or at once flying away. 

 They m;ij' apparently be almost driven in a flock by a liberal 

 Ijroadcast of any powder, but for the rest, even if it be Scotch 

 snufl', it may be presumed they only sneeze. 



Let yotir ground, then, for these crops be thoroughly pre- 

 pared, wait for warm weather to plant in, and when the young 

 ]jlants appear, let them have prompt and continued care, and, 

 if need be, stimtdus, as lic^uid mantu'e, imtil they are beyond 



