New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 295 
mis and devours all the green portion of the plant between the 
epidermis and the bast, or wood, fiber. Five or six of the mag- 
gots will usually completely girdle a stalk. Their method of 
mining, with a “flax-seed” or puparium in the mine, is illus- 
trated in Fig. 5, Plate XLVII. 
The puparia are always formed within the mines and generally 
below or near the surface of the ground where the old, dead 
stalks remain moist. 
AMOUNT OF INJURY. 
This pest has been watched during the past four years, and no 
noticeable injury from its work has ever been detected on cutting 
beds. During 1900 they were apparently more numerous than 
common and considerable injury from their work was observed 
on seedling and newly set beds. The injury showed itself by the 
plants first turning yellow and finally dying much earlier than 
they naturally should do. Possibly the fact that the structure of 
the asparagus plant is such that it can withstand yirdling much 
better than more woody plants accounts for the injury not being 
noticed. Furthermore, the life history of the pest is such that 
the first brood cannot get much of a foothold on cutting beds, 
especially where ridging is practiced. Although the injury to 
cutting beds is not noticed, there is no doubt that the plants are 
materially weakened, later, by the attacks of this pest. 
NATURAL ENEMIES. 
At present it is not known what natural enemies this pest has. 
As yet no parasites have been bred from the puparia. The only 
enemy noted in the field was another small fly, which was not 
identified, feeding upon the fly of the asparagus miner. 
REMEDIES. 
The habits of this asparagus pest are such that there is little 
chance of applying insecticides and none have been tested. Cul- 
tural and preventive measures can be and should be applied. As 
the eggs for the first brood are deposited early in June undoubt- 
edly much could be done toward keeping this pest under control 
