No. 33. | 321 
The history of the asparagus beetle is in brief as follows: The 
beetles destined to continue the species survive the winter in dry 
sheltered places. On the appearance of the asparagus shoots in the 
spring, they emerge from their winter quarters and commence to 
feed upon the tips of the plants. The sexes pair, and the female 
deposits her eggs upon any portion of the exposed shoots. The 
egos hatch in about eight days, and the larvae complete their growth 
in about twelve days. They then enter the earth a short distance, 
or conceal themselves between dead leaves or other material on the 
surface. Constructing a cocoon, they undergo their transformation 
and remain in their pupal state about ten days. Thirty days com- 
plete the cycle from the egg to the perfect insect. As soon as the 
beetles emerge they pair, and deposit their eggs, from which a second 
brood appears about the first of July, followed by a third probably 
in August. Hence we have the larvae aud the beetles with us in 
their successive broods from early spring until September. 
The preventives and remedies that have been used for this insect 
in this country are dusting slacked- lime over the plants, while the 
dew is on, which destroys the larvae. It is also recommended to re- 
move all the young seedlings from the bed as fast as they appear, 
thus compelling the beetles to deposit their eggs upon the young 
shoots. As the latter are cut for market daily, the hatching of the 
eggs is in a great degree prevented. 
Tue Casppacr APHIS. 
On August 20, we noticed that three plants of cabbage set out in 
the spring for seed were badly infested with aphides. To one plant 
we applied pure pyrethrum powder, by means of the bellows ; to the 
second we applied soluble phenyle diluted with water, using a tea- 
spoonful to a gallon; to the third we applied the kerosene emulsion 
diluted with sixty-four parts of water. 
From the plant dusted with pyrethrum powder, the aphides com- 
menceed to fall to the ground at once, and continued to drop for 
three hours. Many of those that dropped, however, were not im- 
mediately killed. 
_ The soluable phenyle solution mostly run off from the foliage at 
once, and the aphides wet with it were not killed. 
The kerosene emulsion adhered to the foliage much better than 
the phenyle solution, while every aphis wet with it seemed to be 
instantly killed. Of the three insecticides, the kerosene emulsion 
was evidently most efficient. 
- The following day many aphides on the plant treated with pyre- 
thrum powder seemed to have entirely recovered from its effects. 
The insects on the one treated with phenyle solution seemed as 
numerous as ever. But on the plant treated with the kerosene emul- 
sion, live aphides could only be found in places not touched by the 
emulsion. 
[Assem. Doc. No. 33.] 41 
