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INSECT AND FUNGUS PESTS IN 

 SEPTEMBER. 



Little can be done during September to prevenl damage by 

 the pests which are now apparent, as during this month crops 

 of all descriptions are being harvested. Notes should be taken, 

 however, of the pests which are prevalent and the damage they 

 cause, in order that precautions may be taken in another season 

 to prevent similar damage. 



Vegetables. — Among the general pests causing damage at 

 this period may be placed the various Cut-worms. These are 

 the caterpillars of certain moths such as the Turnip Moth, the 

 Heart and Dart Moth, the Yellow Under Wing and others. They 

 are also known as Surface Caterpillars, as during the day they 

 usually hide in the upper surface of the soil or under shelter 

 such as leaves, grass, or stones, but at night they come out and 

 feed on the leaves or stems of succulent plants, more frequently 

 on the latter. A common form of injury at this season' is for 

 the caterpillars to bite through the stems of succulent plants 

 such as cabbages, especially those which have been newly planted 

 out, but these pests also attack such crops as mangolds, turnips 

 and potatoes. Young cabbage plants are rendered useless by 

 these ravages, and the tops fall to the ground. Such damage 

 is often found where ground is not properly cultivated, the 

 presence of weeds having attracted the female moths to lay their 

 eggs in this place. Where only a small number of plants is 

 to be dealt with the simplest method of preventing further 

 damage is to search the surface soil around the base of injured 

 plant and discover the caterpillars. These vary in colour from 

 a reddish brown to grey or grey-green. Further particulars are 

 given in Leaflet No. 33. In both this instance and in other 

 cases of soil pests much good may be done by regular hoeing. 



Owing to the wet summer Botrt/tis in onion plants is likely 

 to be prevalent, and every effort should be made to ensure that 

 the plants are well dried off before storing. Thorough drying 

 of root vegetables before storing is a point that should be 

 emphasised, as many of the roots can only spread under damp 

 conditions, while in a year like the present special attention 

 should be paid to the drying off of potatoes as far as possible 

 before they are pitted. 



Autumn-sown onions should be examined very closely while 

 in the seedling stage for traces of Onion Smut. This is a disease 

 which as yet is uncommon in England, but is making its 



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