THE PICKLE WORM OR MELON WORM 
This pest seldom reaches any important stage in 
any area north of Missouri, but south of that line, 
it is often a difficult problem. It confines its work 
largely to Squash, Cantaloupe and Cucumber. 
The adult of this pest is a beautiful moth, with a 
wing spread of about one inch, brownish in color 
with a semi-transparent area in the middle of the 
wing. The melon worm may have three or four 
generations per year, requiring about a month to 
pass from the egg to adult stage. It lays small, 
flat elliptical white eggs, mostly on the blossoms, 
blossom buds or tender tip growth. Hatching in 
three to five days the young larvae soon begin 
their work. Although the damage of the young 
caterpillars may be considerable to the foliage and 
blossoms, the greater damage occurs to the fruits; 
as they become more mature, they bore into the 
melon, feeding as they bore. Since this is true, 
arsenical sprays are of very little value, contact 
poisons, such as nicotine, are also of little value. 
Therefore, naturally the preventive methods are 
most effective. The moths being strong fliers ro- 
tation of crops is almost futile. But destruction of 
infested fruits helps throughout the season and 
prompt destruction of vines and immature fruits 
after the crop has been gathered will reduce the 
number of moths to appear next season. Deep 
plowing during the fall and early winter will 
destroy many of the hibernating pupae. The above 
described predatory pest may be known in your 
particular section as the Cantaloupe Borer. 

TEXAS GIANT—Variety No. 10 
Here's what one of our good customers, from the state of Missouri, has to say about 
the "Texas Giant.” 
The Texas Giant melons we grew in 1948 were 
the best quality melons we have grown in 61 
years of producing watermelons. They will sell 
themselves on any market. I guarantee all melons 
sold. One buyer purchased 306 melons weighing 
12,315 pounds. 
Yours truly 
See pages 1, 24 and 25 for color photo and full description 

ee TT 
"Good Pure Seed from Grower to Grower" 
37 
