Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-30
Difficulties in the Way of Raising
SUuaSheS

The principal difficulties in the way of
raising squashes arise from the attacks of
the borers and the squash-bug, that disa-
greeably odOriferous, flat-backed, gray
backed insect which bOres into the root
and the stalks, injuring the vines by in
sorting its long beak and sucking out the
sap. To-day l have spent an hour in the
squash bed investigating. i have found
myriads of young bugs of all sizes, from
an eighth OF an inch to half an inch, feed
ing upon the under sides of the leaves in
troops. The squash vines having been
earthed up, or having run upon the mel
low soil, have rooted at every Joint, and
although the main root and stem have
been devOured almost completely by the
borers, yet the vines are elsewhere strong
and vigorous and full of fruit, excepting
where leaf, here and there, is attacked
by young insects and willis.
THE sQUAsH-BUG.
COreuS triStiS-and bad cOreus it is,
indeed-lays its eggs on the under sides
of the leaves of the vine. These eggs are
flattish, oval brown capsules with round
opening at one end, through which the
young bug can be seen. Having provided
thus for its family, the old squash-bug
enjoys its leisure in sucking the Juices
from the stalks which it pierces. The
hollow stalks are filled with sap, which
nourishes the broad, succulent leaves,
When the stalks are pierced they become
empty of sap and the leaves droop and
die. The young bugs remain where they
are Matched on the leaves and, congrega-
ting in families, as it would seem. pierce
the under surface and suck the sap. At
terWard they dlsperSe and spread over the
vine. This seems to be the history of this
pest of the squash.
THE STRIPED SOUASH-BFETIE
This pest, Gateruca ojttata, one of the
family of the Chrysomclada, so well
known, eats the under surface of the
leaves; there 1t lays its eggs, which are
small, elongated, egg-shaped and yellow.
and adhere to the leaf by one end, stand
ing out from the surface at right angles in
scattered clusters. These hatch into
small, yellow fieshy grubs, with six legs
and SIX rows of black hairs lengthWise of
the body, each hair being curiously
branched and forked at the extremity,
These grubs feed upon the leaves, but do
not cause them to wilt. and devour only
the under part without making holes
through them. The history of this beetle
was unknown to DIR. Harris, the author
of our best work on insects. DIR. Harris
was also not aware that the related beetle.
CbTyS0n1etd scdtdriS, was an enemy to
squash, melon and cucumber vines. This
beetle eats me leaves, and also bites
through the leat-stalks, causing the leaves
to wilt and perish. 1t is broad oval in
shape, a quarter of an inch long; the
head and under part are green; the wing
covers are light-cOlOred and covered with
dark green spots with an irregular band
on the inner edges of the wing-cOYers. 1t
has beengery plentiful this season among
the cucumbers and melons. 80 far /
have not been able to identity its eggs or
larve.
THE SQUASH-BORER.
This is the worst pest of the squash
family. 1t attacks the plants in a vital
spot, viz: the main stalk. The parent is
a moth, having an Orange-cOlOred body.
spotted with black; the hind wings are
transparent and the fore wings expand to
an inch and half. Although the Larvae
are so plentiful the moths are rarely seen.
Its name is -Kgertd cucurbit9. 1t is a
relative of the peach-borer, which is
Hgerid erttiOSd. The eggs are laid in
July upon the vine near the joints or at
the root; the worm, white. fleshy grub
with black head, enters the vine and
bOres it from one end to the other. This
causes it to perish with its half-grown
fruit and ruins the labors and the hopes
of the planter. Fortunately, its attacks
may be rendered less hurtful by keeping
the soil mellow about the vines when they
are young, and by covering the Joints at
each hoeing. This causes the vines to
root at every joint and saves them from