102 VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



the young larvae eat their way into the immature seeds. The 

 hole by which the larva enters the seed grows completely over, 

 so that the seed appears unimpaired externally. In the seed the 

 larva does not touch the germ, though it may eat up a large 

 part of the starch. The larva undergoes its changes in the 

 seed, and when these have been completed the beetles emerge 

 through quite large holes in the shell of the seed. While seed 

 that is infested may germinate it forms only weak plants that 

 are very sure to fail to mature a full crop. Similar insects also 

 attack corn. There is another speeies that breeds in stored 

 grain, peas and beans, etc., but it is not common here as yet. 



Remedies. — These insects are generally somewhat local in 

 range. Whenever any locality is infested the date of planting 

 should be delayed two weeks, by which means the beetle fail to 

 find the crop ready when they are ready to lay their eggs. This 

 trouble generally comes from sowing infested seeds. These 

 may be separated from the good seed by throwing them into 

 water, when the good will sink, but those infested will float. 

 'Another method is to treat the seed with carbon bisulphide as 

 recommended under that head. If the seed is kept over two 

 years the beetles will have come out. The species that breeds 

 in the grain is most easily destroyed and kept out of the seed 

 by using bisulphide of carbon as recommended. 



Squash Vine Borer (Aegeria cucurbitae.) — The squash vine 

 borer is the larva of a moth. The eggs are laid on the stems 

 of the young plants near the roots of cucumber, squash and melon 

 vines. The larvae on hatching burrow into the stem and follow 

 along the center, which causes the plants to wilt an'^. finally to 

 die. The full grown borer measures about one inch in length 

 and has a whitish body with a brown head. The borers leave 

 the stem the latter part of the summer and winter over near 

 the surface of the ground in cocoons composed partly of earth. 

 The moth emerges the following spring. 



Remedies. — This insect is not yet found in this section but 

 is common in the eastern states, and where it is found ail 

 withered or dead vines should be destroyed. When vines have 

 only commenced to wilt the borer may often be cut out and 

 the vine recover. It is also a good plan to cover several of the 



