562 
Control 
The control of this pest is not so dif- 
ficult as it would seem in view of the 
fact that arsenical sprays cannot be used 
upon the tender marketable shoots be- 
cause of the poisonous effects to the con- 
sumers. 
In the spring when harvesting the 
shoots it is advisable to leave some of 
them for the beetles to lay their eggs 
upon; cutting and burning these before 
the eggs hatch. Another practice is to 
keep all the seedlings except a few for 
traps, cut down. Upon those left the 
beetles will collect in great numbers and 
may be easily killed. In the spring or 
after they are covered with eggs the 
plants should be cut down and burned. 
AS soon as the crop is harvested the 
seedlings and feathery plants should be 
thoroughly sprayed with arsenical sprays, 
which will serve to kill many of the ma- 
ture beetles before they go into winter 
quarters. One pound of lead arsenate to 
Sixteen gallons of water has given excel- 
lent results. 
Dusting air-slacked lime of pyrethrum 
upon the larvae or spraying plants infest- 
ed by them with kerosene emulsion or 
tobacco extract are exceedingly effective 
as the larvae are very delicate. Brushing 
to the ground also destroys large num- 
bers of them. Burning the rubbish in the 
winter destroys many of the hibernating 
beetles, 
Natural Enemies 
The young of the ladybird beetles, Me- 
villa maculata and Hippodamia convergens, 
prey upon the young larvae. In the east 
the spined soldier-bug (Podisus macu- 
liventris Say) and the bordered soldier- 
bug (Stiretrus anchorago Fab.) as well 
as certain other insects also feed upon 
the larvae. 
EH. O. Essie 
Twelve-Spotted Asparagus Beetle 
Crioceris 12-punctala I:. 
Description 
A trifle larger and stouter than the 
common species, uniformly reddish in 
color, with 12 black spots on the wing 
covers. Eggs are attached by their sides 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
instead of ends, usually on old plants in- 
stead of young shoots if such are avai). 
able. 
Character of Injury 
Hibernated beetles feed on shoots in 
spring. Later beetles and larvae prefer 
the berries. Larvae seem to feed almost 
exclusively on the berries. Cut all plants 
down to the ground in early spring, and 
cut new shoots before eggs hatch. Allow 
some shoots scattered over the field to 
grow larger than others and most of the 
eggs will be deposited on these. When 
they are well covered with eggs cut and 
burn and allow other shoots to grow 
for same purpose. Spray with arsenate 
of lead late in the season when cutting 
period is over. Chickens and ducks will 
devour many if given the run of the 
garden. H. A. Gossarp, 
Wooster, Ohio, 
Australia 
Orchards and Fruit Gardens 
Fruit growing has made rapid progress 
in Australia during recent years, the 
area devoted thereto having increased in 
the past ten years by no less than 56,936 
acres. The states in which the increase 
was most marked were: Tasmania, 17,- 
900 acres; Victoria, 12,731 acres; Western 
Australia, 12,668 acres; and South Aus- 
tralia, 6,529 acres. During the same 
period the Queensland fruit-growing area 
increased 5,738 acres, while in New South 
Wales a slight increase of 1,310 acres was 
exhibited. 
The varieties of fruit grown differ ma- 
terially in various parts of the several 
states, and range between such fruits as 
the pineapple, paw-paw, mango, and 
guava of the tropics, and the strawberry, 
the raspberry, and the currant of the cold- 
er parts of the temperate zone. The prin- 
cipal varieties grown in Victoria are the 
apple, pear, peach, apricot, plum, and 
cherry. In New South Wales citrus fruits 
(orange, lemon, ete.) occupy the leading 
positions, although apples, pears, peaches, 
cherries, plums, and apricots are also ex- 
tensively grown. In Queensland the 
bananas, oranges, pineapples, peaches, ap- 
ples, mangoes, and plums are most large- 
