Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-12-04
FARM AND GARDEN.
EXPERIMENTS IN TREATING THE
CUCUMBER BEETLE.
The Refuse OF Cigar Factories Proves
the Best Remedy-Bones rs a
Fertilizer and how to Re-
duce Them TO Dust.

There are few injurious insects for
which more remedies and preventives
have been recommended than the
Striped Cucumber Beetle-the every
where abundant yellow "bug" with
black stripes along its back which at
tacks squashes, eucumbers, melons,
and in fact nearly all cucurbitaceous
plants. A large portion of these reme--
dies are doubtless worthless, II indeed
not positively injurious.
In order 10 get more definite knowl-
edge of the preventive or remedial val
ne of these various substances, the Ohio
Experiment station began last season
series of experiments In which 1t Is de-
signed to give each a practical field test
and, if possible, to arrive at some re liza
BILE conclusions for the guidance OF the
interested public. The result Of last
years work showed that many OF the
so called remedies are worthless-some
even being worse than the disease.
The experiments were continued this
year on an extensive scale. A field OF
two acres was put in good condition by
the use of plow and harrow and was
planted to squashes, melons and Gu
cumbers according to the ordinary
plan of growing these vegetables. The
seeds came up early in June and the
first Striped Beetles appeared soon af-
| ter. They then came In great num-
bers and destroyed a large number OF
plants before they could be treated.
Two general methods of treatment
were employed: (D Coating the plants
with poisonous substances, and ~ fenc'
| ing out the insects by mechanical bar
rers. The best results Were attained In
the first class of remedies, by the use ot
tobacco powder-the refuse packing Of
the cigar factories. A number of bar
rels of this substance were obtained al
| cigar factory. A shovelful of this
powder was thrown on each hill. The
first application was made to 81
hills, June II. Rains coming soon after
it was repeated June IA, 16 and II. The
results were excellent. The beetles
seemed to dislike working in the to
bacco and the plants on all the hills &c
treated came through in good condit
ion. Aside from its value as an insec'
ticide the tobacco acts both as mulch
and fertilizer. Chemical analysis
shows that its market as fertilizer il
twenty-five dollars per ton. In many
eastern cities it is being utilized, but in
Columbus and other Ohio cities many
of the factories are glad to give this re-
fuse to any one who will take it away
Various methods of the mechanical
exclusion of the beetles were agair
tried with good success. This may be
done by simply placing over the plants
a piece of thin plant-cloth or cheese
cloth, about two feet square and fasten
ing the edges down by loose earth. /
is better, however, to hold the centel
of the cloth up by means of half bar
rel hoop, or wires bent in the form of
croquet arch.
It is frequently stated that these bee
ties will not attack plants if simple
frames, consisting of four pieces o
boards nailed together, without a toI
of any kind, are placed over the hills
This method was tried with numbe
of frames ranging from four to ten in
ches in height. AS anticipated, tn,
method was entirely unsuccessful
every plant of the hills 80 covered be
ing destroyed by the beetles.