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9 
Insect Pests. 
In order to prevent for the future, many in¬ 
quiries, in regard to remedies tor the cabbage 
worms, squash bugs and other insects, and at 
the same time, to benefit a large number of our 
friend*, we will describe here our method of fight¬ 
ing these enemies. But let us say to you right 
from the outset, that the old adage “an ounce of 
prevention is better than a pound of cure” is only 
too true. It is easier to keep the bugs off than 
to drive them away after they once get posses¬ 
sion of the field and therefore we resort when 
possible, to the defensive rather than the offensive 
mode of warfare. 
Everything that tends to push vegetation, to 
invigorate the plants and make them grow thrif¬ 
ty and rapidly, tends at the same time to lessen 
the danger from insects. Therefore, try to bring 
about a combination of the the most favorable 
conditions to plant growth, suitable location, the 
right kind of soil, plenty of manure, artificial 
fertilizers, liquid manure etc., and a very fre¬ 
quent use of hoe and cultivator. 
Cabbage Pests The flea beetle (Cabbage 
<>r Turnip flea) is a small black bug that infests 
all plants of the Brassica family and is particu¬ 
larly fund of mustard. It punctures the seed 
leaves of every young plant and sucks their life 
blood out of them. When in the larvae state 
(a white grub) it tunnels through the main roots 
of Cabbages, Turnips, and Radishes, causing 
generally complete destruction to the first named 
and making the latter two unfit for the table. 
I. F. Tillinghast, (see Manual of Vegetable 
Plants) recommends the following preventive: 
Raise Cabbage Plants etc., as far as possible 
from the spot where any such plants were grown 
the year previous, supply an abundance of food 
for the bugs on the old plant patch by sowing Cab¬ 
bage and Mustard thickly close by, and lastly 
change the scent of the plants to be saved by 
placing rags saturated with Kerosene, Spirits of 
Turpentine, Coal Oil, Carbolic Acid or any other 
strong smelling substance, all over the field. 
If these preventive measures cannot be em¬ 
ployed, or the bugs make their appearance in 
spite of them, sprinkle plaster or dry wood-ashes 
over the young plants every morning before the 
dew is off. This will quickly drive the bugs 
away. 
The same preventive as for the flea beetle, 
change of scent of the growing plants,? is also 
sometimes recommended for the 
Green Worm. Still, while it is true that 
the parent of the w- rm, the white butterfly, 
is attracted to cabbage fields merely by the 
sense of smell, we consider this preventive im¬ 
practicable and needless also as we know some 
infallible remedies. If you have but a few 
cabbages, look them over frequently and, with 
a pair of sharp scissors, cut all the worms you 
can find in two. This is sure but rather laborious. 
Whenever practicable, we recommend the drench¬ 
ing of the heads with strong ^ashing suds, ap¬ 
plied judiciouslv while hot. This not only de¬ 
stroys the worms and eggs, but also frees the 
plants from dirt and acts as a strong fertilizer. 
The simplest and best remedy on a larger 
scale is the application of Pyrethrum (Persian 
Insect Powder) dusted thoroughly over the 
plants and repeated as often as necessary. 
After writing the above, we find another 
“sure” cure recommended in the Rural New 
Yorker of December 25th, ard we will repeat 
it in condensed form. Cover the plants with dry 
unleached woodashes, using one half to one 
shovel full to each plant, according to size. 
This remedy can easily be applied and will 
pay from a manurial point of view alone, even 
if it should not destroy the worms entirely. 
But we think it will, 
Squash Pests. A hard task indeed you 
have be fore you to fight the two b’?gs, that 
infest all kinds of running vines. But both of 
them, .the striped cucumber bug and the large 
tirown bug, known as “Stinkbug,” must be 
kept off', if you want to save your cucumbers, 
melons, squashes, pumpkins, etc. Often you 
can hide the young plants successfully among 
other garden stuff, in a potato patch, or by 
sowing a ring of buckwheat or beans around 
the hill; you can also cover them, if the patch 
is not too large, with boxes, plant protectors 
or paper. Ashe*, or rags saturated with 
kerosene or coal-tir and placed around the 
hills, plaster, dry ashes, soot, air slacked lime, 
road dust, all are excellent when dusted over 
the vines freely every morning. Not less ef¬ 
fective is the daily application of liquid ma¬ 
nure, which after having been standing in the 
sun for a number of days, gives off a smell 
too rank even for the bugs. But no success 
ydthout constant vigilance. 
Examiue your vines, when young, every day 
closely, and nut only kill all the “stink-bugs” 
you fiud, but also destroy their eggs, deposited 
generally on the under side of the leaves. 
Tuisco Greiner. 
