Putnam patriot., 1930-06-05
TIM ELY FAR M TOPICS
 bB the County Agricultural Agent
sritton Gives Warning of New
 Vegetable Pest

Dritton Gives Warming of New
 Vegetable Pest
 Farmers in Connecticut must aarI, oe on the lookout for a new insect pest the Mexican bean beetle. which was hfst found in this state last sun,- ner. Dr. W. E. Britton. entomeloeist or The Connecticut Agrieultural Fv. Perhhent Station, warns that if tba Insect has survived the winter. ii poa,, ihliict considerable damage on beans.
 oiiglhaily m the southwest, the oean beetle has spread since 1920 hofthWard and eastward from Ala oama. In Connecticut. it has been iound chiefly in Fairfield county but it was picked up also in Iitcb6eld New Haven and Hartford counties
 The Mexican bean beetle is a pale brown or buff lady beetle ne-fopr,b Vi an inch long and each wing cover pears elght black spots. The larva IS one-thlrd of an inch in length and dd,fty white or yellowish in color. tiants are injured by the adults feed ing on the lower surface of the leaves the larvae skeletonize the leaves. They attack almost all kinds of beans and may get into cowpeas, alfalfa and sweet clover.
 How Controlled
 To control the pest. spray with magnesium arsenate, one pound to hfty gallons of water, or dust with calcium arsenate or magnesium arsen- ate, one pound of the dry poison to Tour pounds of hydrated lime. On string beans or snap beans, where the pods are Co be eaten. it is advisable to spray with pyrethrum soap prepara- tiou.
 Certain more familiar pests require prompt action this time of year if crops are to be raised safely. Adults Of the cucumber beetle are flying and appear their worst about June lst. Cueumbers and squash may be sud denly ruined by an infestation that the grower did not know existed. Cu- cumbers in the experiment station gar den appeared in good condition one Monday morning last summer; We'd nesday they were inspected again and found half eaten by the cucumber beetle.
 The safest way to cope with the pest Is to spray whether it is known to be present or not. 4 mixture of lead arsenate and Bordeaux is re- commended, or dusting with lead ar senate may be used.
 The cucumber beetle adult not only feeds on the leaves of cucumber, squash and melons. but it is the only known carrier of bacterial wilt. The larvae bore into the roots.
 Another danger always present this time of year is the green cabbage worm It eats the leaves and may ruin the appearance of head. En- tomologists recommend dusting with lead even if the worm has not been seen. Applications should be made every ten days: the dusting won't damage the cabbage for market if the last treatment is made not later than two weeks before the crop is picked.
 Watch Carefully
 Cabbage and cauliflower should be watched carefully for aphis. As soon as the under side of the leaves show a few, the leaves should be dusted with nicotine sulfate If young eau lihower plants once get setback from aphis, they grow poorly. They should be protected against this pest from the time they are set out. Cab bage is more hardy.
 Cutworms emerge from the ground in the evening and slice stalks of vegetables off at the ground. The pest is particularly severe on to- matoes and cabbage, but 1t sometimes attacks corn. lettuce and other plants. Poison bran mash is he best means of killing the insect. The material should be put into the field after the sun has gone down. That is when the cutworm appears and if the mash IS exposed to the sun. it may dry up before it has chance to be effective.
 As soon as tomatoes are set out, they should be sprayed with Bor- deaux mixture to control the flea bee tie. This pest is voraeious on toma- toes and potatoes and sometimes 1t attacks cucumbers and egg plants. 1t eats small holes in the leaves.
 Information in this article by Dr. W. E. Britton of the Connecticut Az ricultural Experiment Station New Haven. Connecticut.