The RURAL NEW-YOLUIER 
1153 
An Insect with a Handle 
Inclosed find a curious bug or worm. 
I found it while digging bait for fish, 
about eight inches deep in yellow loam. 
I also found a smaller one. Both were 
found quite near a house. I would like 
to know if it is the 17-year locust. 
Connecticut. E. G. 
Fishermen proverbially have strange 
tales to tell, and apparently they often 
run across strange things to tell about. 
The curious creature with a handle that 
was dug out of the soil was nothing more 
or less than the pupa or resting stage of 
Common Green Tomato Worm 
the common, big, green tomato worm. 
When the tomato worm attains its growth 
in August or September it goes into the 
ground and burrows down about four 
inches below the surface. Here it squirms 
and turns about until it has made a 
smooth cell in the dirt and then, by go¬ 
ing through some most remarkagle 
changes, turns into the pitcher-like crea¬ 
ture known as pupa. The pupa rests in 
its cell in the soil, unless disturbed by a 
plow or by a fisherman after bait until 
Tui>a with Handle, into which Tomato 
Worm Changes 
the following Spring in late May or 
early June. At this time another re¬ 
markable change takes place, and the 
pupa transforms to a fine, large, grayish 
and graceful moth with wings that mea¬ 
sure from four to five inches from tip to 
tip. Tightly coiled like a watch spring 
beneath the head of the moth is a long, 
slender proboscis, with which the insect 
sucks up the sweet nectar from flowers, 
especially those of the honeysuckle. It 
is this proboscis, already more or less 
developed, that forms the jug-like handle 
in the pupa. glenn w. iierrxck. 
Grape Aphis; Shortening Vine Shoots 
I am sending you something that is get¬ 
ting on my grapes, and as I have never 
seen anything like it before, would be 
glad to have you tell me what, it is and a 
remedy. I am cutting off the ends of the 
shoots when I see them affected, but they 
seem to be increasing. What is the best 
way to stop the shoots from running 
when they are as long as you want them? 
Louisville, Ky. K. r. 
The insects found on the shoots are the 
grape aphids or lice. These are not usu¬ 
ally sufficiently numerous to make spray¬ 
ing worth while, though occasionally in 
the South they attain to such numbers 
that their natural enemies, the ladybird 
beetles, do not gain control of the aphids 
until considerable damage has been done 
to the vine. It is suggested that when the 
infestation is serious the vines be sprayed 
with “Black Leaf 40,” three-fourths of a 
pint in 100 gallons of water, to which is 
added four or five pounds of resin fish-oil 
soap. If this quantity is not required, 
the above proportions may be figured to 
tit the quantity needed. This spray should 
be applied as soon as the aphids appear 
on the shoots. 
In order to stop the shoots from run¬ 
ning after they have attained sufficient 
length the tips are simply pinched off. 
This will induce a vigorous growth of 
laterals. These ip turn may be pinched 
back when they have reached a desired 
length. F. E. GLADWIN. 
Smut Disease in Wheat 
I have been using the formalin treat¬ 
ment for smut in oats for a number of 
years, but read somewhere that wheat 
smut was entirely different. I am glad 
to learn that the same method of treat¬ 
ment will control both these diseases. 
Exchange, Pa. j. a. ir. 
There are three kinds of wheat smut: 
a loose smut and two stinking smuts. All 
occur in New York, but loose smut is the 
most destructive, often causing losses of 
10 per cent or more. Loose smut is con¬ 
spicuous in the field at “heading” time. 
It attacks both the grain and the chaff, 
transforming them into a dusty brown 
powder, post of which blows away by 
harvest time. The stinking smuts, on the 
contrary, are usually not detected until 
harvest time. Only the grain is attacked, 
and affected heads appear nearly normal. 
The diseased kernels contain a brown, foul-j 
smelling, greasy powder. The stinking] 
smuts are x'eadily controlled by dipping 
the seed wheat a few minutes in formal¬ 
dehyde solution—one pint to 45 gallons 
of water, but for loose smut no good rem¬ 
edy is known. With loose smut the bestj 
that can be done-is to grow varieties least 
subject to smut, and avoid using seed 
from smutty fields. Very little is definite¬ 
ly known as to the relative susceptibility 
of the different varieties. Dawson’s 
Golden Chaff is much more liable to smut 
than Gold Coin. Fultz and Jones’ No. 6 
are said to be quite resistant. The reason 
that loose smut is not controlled by treat¬ 
ing the seed with chemicals is because the 
fungus is inside the seed wheat kernels. 
Infection occurs at flowering time. In¬ 
fected kernels appear like healthy oms. 
but have the fungus inside, and will pro¬ 
duce smut plants if sown. 
F. C. STEWART. 
Controlling the Striped Cucumber Beetle 
On page 1071 C. M. D. asks for a meth¬ 
od of controlling this pest which attacks 
and seriously injures most kinds of vines 
when small. In the reply various reme¬ 
dies are suggested, but it is admitted that 
none is thoroughly efficient. Watering 
the plants with a liquid made by steeping 
a 10-cent plug of tobacco in a gallon of 
water and adding enough soapsuds to 
make 10 gallons will effectively rid a 
garden of the pests. To secure the best 
results the application should be made 
about the time the plants begin to break 
through the ground. Formerly these in¬ 
sects were excessively numerous in this 
locality, but. for some reason for which I 
offer no explanation, they have din i- 
peared. I have not seen one for several 
years. c. o. ormsbee. 
Controlling Asparagus Beetle 
I see on page 1051 G. L. S.. Sheridan. 
N. Y., asks what kind of sprav to uise on 
asparagus tops. We have 2% acres of 
asparagus, and for the past four years we 
have had a beetle working on it. One 
year ago, in May, 1018, we put one of our 
outdoor brooders on one side of the as¬ 
paragus with about 40 small chickens, 
and they surely did clean off the beetle 
from the 214 acres. This year there were 
some on the patch again, so we put out 
another lot of small chickens and they 
took them all. One year ago the beetles 
were so bad we had to throw lots of the 
“grass” away, and the remainder was 
hard to sell as it looked bad when we 
put it on the market. joiin morris. 
Colorado. 
A Mileage Harvest 
FUDGE tires by results. On the strictest 
basis of mileage measurement, the Ajax 
Road King tops the field. 
Chief among reasons for the greater mileage 
yield of the Ajax Road King is that special 
feature—Ajax Shoulders of Strength. Shoul¬ 
ders of Strength are burly buttresses of rubBer 
that brace and reinforce the tread. Their 
function is to add mileage—and they do, for 
they distribute wear evenly over the road. They 
put more rubber!where it should be—-more 
tread on the road. 
The harvest tells. Try Ajax Road King tires. 
They are typical of the better inbuilt value that 
makes Ajax mileage yield so great. 
Ajax Tires Are Guaranteed In Writing 5000 Miles 
s Write for the free book—Ajax Shoulders of Strength 
AJAX RUBBER COMPANY, Inc. 
New York 
Factories: Trenton, N. J. 
Branches In Leading Cities 
AJAX 
Dusting for Potato Bugs 
I am told th.it hydrated lime is used on 
potato vines for getting rid of potato 
bugs. Will you advise me if this is so. 
and. if so, how it is applied, and in about 
what quantities? w. R. 
Attica, N. Y. 
Wo have known lime, plaster, road 
dust, flour and other dry substances to be 
dusted on the vines. They do not kill 
the beetles, but do prevent some of their 
work. They cannot be considered a sure 
remedy. Either some poison or something 
to kill by contact should be mixed with 
the lime. If there are only a few beetles 
the lime may answer. If they are plenti¬ 
ful it will not keep them in check. 
A passenger was making bis first trip 
across the Atlantic, and the first day out 
he was in the throes of mat dr mer when 
the ship surgeon visited him in his state¬ 
room. “What’s the matter?" was the lat¬ 
ter’s callous query. “O-o-oh!” was the 
only response as the passenger rolled over 
in agony. "Come, get up!” derided the 
surgeon unfeelingly. “The ship’s been 
submarined and will sink in 10 minutes.” 
"Ten minutes?” the sick man protested 
feebly. “Can’t you make it any sooner?” 
—Melbourne Australasian. 
BARIUM-PHOSPHATE 
AN IDEAL FERTILIZER FOR FALL SEEDING 
ANALYSING 
i}6% Phosphoric Acid 7% Barium Sulphide 
Every farmer knows that so long as hecan grow Clover he can grow anything else, and 
that where clover refuses to grow, owing to acid soil conditions, other crops must steadily 
deteriorate. 
Barium-Phosphate, in addition to supplying Phosphorus 
SWEETENS THE SOIL 
AND INSURES A LUXURIANT GROWTH OF CLOVER 
WITHOUT THE USE OF LIME 
Bogin now, preparing for next year's crops, by planting cover crops of Clover and Rye to 
be turned under m the spring with Barium-Phosphate and just enough manure to supply the 
necessary bacteria. * 
We will deliver Barium-Phosphate anywliere in New York. New Jersey and most New 
England points at the following prices: 
CARLOADS, 20 TONS OR MORE $21.50 A TON 
LESS CARLOADS, 1 TON OR MORE 23.50 A TON 
It will pay yon to write for our book, 
“BARIUM-PHOSPHATE FOR FALL SEEDING” 
Witherbee, Sherman & Company, Inc. 
2 Rector Street, New York City 
When you u>rite advertisers mention The R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a 
quick reply and a “square deal.” See guarantee editorial page . 
