Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-08-25
ABOUT EUGS
Methods of Checking Increase of in
Gardens.

There is entirely too much Of the so
called "hind sight" and far too little
fore sight i'll our warfare against the
bugs. When in midsummer we sud
denly find u crop being destroyed by
hundreds of hungry c.drrpllars or bee
ties, we wonder where they came from
and proceed to combat them ~ncn
they have already partially r;lincI the
crop. one Of the worst contrhutary
causes is the neglect to clear out III"
remains of the gathered! crops leaving
the StumpS. @tuhhir, or vines. lying in
the garden where they grew, or in piles
serenely indifferent to the fact that our
insect enemies arr thriving ami ncrcaS-
ing upon them.
There ar" many simple methods Of cf-
fectually rh"cking the inr"aSc ii thcs"
insets and thus hbTItimg the necessity
for expensive remedial measures. In
warfare against insects as against dis
ease, we need more hygiene and less
remedial treatment.
In the cabbage patch after the crop
has been gathered, the stumpS. which
have sprouted out, will be found in the
field where they grew or sometimes
gathered into piles. The sprouts fur
nish ample food for the bugs during the
balance of the season ana form snug
quarters in which the winter is safely
passed In these StumpS or piles may
be found the chrysalids of all the COM
mon cabbage caterpillars and the adult
harlequin bugs so injurious in the
South. Had the stumps been uprootel
and piled as soon as the crop was gath
cred, all of these pests would have as
semhlcd upon the piles, which might
then have been destroyed in the fall or
early spring ana thus caught the great
or part of the insects.
The same principles apply to most of
the pests Of melons, cucumbers and
sQuaSheS. Both the squash bug and
striped cucumber beetle hibernate I'M
der the old vines and other rubbish
always found in the melon patch, where
| they feed and breed unmolestcd until
frost Rake up the vines and burn
| them soon after the crop is gathered.
Standing corn stalks, so commonly
seen in the Middle States. form an ideal
| winter home for all the insect enemies
of corn and other crops. The earn stalt
borar passes the winter in its cell in the
| crown of the plant and underneath the
bases Of the leaves and in the hollow
stalk are chinch bugs and other corn
| insects. Many now testify that where
| they have plowed out, raked up and
comparatively immune from many of
burned the corn stubble they had been
these pests which seriously injured
neghboring crops.
| Even the well-known Colorado potato
beetle passes the winter under the old
potato vines left lying in the fields. Stir
around the loose surface soil at the
base of an old vine in any field where
the beetles have been numerous and
You will probably find from one to a
half dozen of them curled up for their
long winters sleep.
In the orchard most of the fallen APP
pies are due to the Goblin moth cater
pillar and the apple maggot or "rail-
road worm. which will mature if the
fallen fruits are not destroyed, From
the fallen plums, which its injury has
caused to drop. the grub Of the plum
curculio emerges when full grown. and
enters the earth to pass the winter
Hogs and sheep are. therefore, of great
value in an orhard, but if these are not
available. see 10 it that all fallen fruit
is destroyed and leave none on the
trees. even though it is valueless. upon
which insects may feed and fungus dis
eases develop.