the "lice," which in a very few weeks destroy a crop. Attack is seldom noticed until May in the more Southern States in which the insect is found, and a little later in its more northern range. It hibernates on clover and vetch, and from these plants spreads by flight in April and May to peas. The females at certain periods produce living young. These attain maturity in from ten to fifteen days, and possibly in less time in the hottest weather. Several generations develop each year. As instance of the reproductive powers of this insect, Prof. W. G. Johnson's estimate is interesting. Females produce from 110 to 120 young. Calculating from the average number of insects produced each day (six), one individual would in one year become the progenitor of 423,912 “lice.” In some instances natural enemies of the pea aphis have done efficient service. Seldom, however, do they destroy the insects sufficiently early in the season to save a crop. REMEDIES Kerosene-soap emulsion, carefully prepared and diluted with about twelve parts of water, and sprayed upon the plants upon the first appearance of the "lice," so that the leaves are wet on both the under and upper surfaces, has been found to be the most effective of the insecticides tried. A stronger solution is apt to scald the plant, particularly while the vines are young and tender. The cost of the emulsion, however, and the difficulty of under-spraying, its rapid evaporation, and the necessity of frequent applications, is such as to hardly warrant its use. Brush and cultivator method. The peas are grown in rows sufficiently wide apart as to admit of a one-horse cultivator between them. The "lice" are brushed from the plants with boughs of pine with their leaves on, and a cultivator follows down the rows immediately afterward. This method should be practiced in the heat of the day, when the ground is dry and hot, and a repetition of the brushing is necessary every three to seven days until the crop is ready for picking. Such "lice" as are not buried in the ground will be killed by the dust which closes their breathing pores, while a considerable proportion are destroyed also by the force of the brushing. Peas planted in rows to permit of frequent cultivation suffer much less injury than when sown broadcast. As soon as the last picking has been made infested plants should be promptly plowed under. Cultural methods. Of cultural methods there is testimony to the value of early planting, the earliest peas seldom being infested, or at least only slightly injured. Very late plantings of peas for canning have also escaped ravages in some instances. Rotation of crops is advisable, and it is unwise to plant peas in successive years in the same portion of a farm, or in the vicinity of other leguminous plants likely to harbor this species. As this insect passes the winter on the plants mentioned, because peas are not available, it might be possible to use small plats of some of them as trap crops. Crimson clover would probably be best because of the early start that it gets in the spring. On the trap plants the "lice" could be killed by hand methods, such as brushing from the Adult. (Author's illustration, plants into pans, and thus large numbers Fig. 1.-Crafty leafhopper. could be killed early in the season before they had opportunity to spread to peas. Leafhoppers of several species occur in all stages, feeding on the under surface of leaves of bean and cowpea, but are not known to be particularly injurious. The most conspicuous species, on account of its large size and bright colors, is the crafty leafhopper (Diedrocephala versuta Say, fig. 71). Remedies have been discussed on page 86. Plant-bugs are often abundant on edible legumes. Of these the garden flea-hopper (Halticus uhleri Giard) lives in great numbers on the leaves, puncturing them so as to cause the death of the tissues in small irregular white patches. In its snortwinged form (fig. 72, a) it resembles the black flea-beetles, which affect potato, alike in appearance, in the nature of its work. α b Fig. 72.-Garden flea-hopper. a. Brachypterous female; b. full-winged female. All much enlarged. (Author's illustration U. S Dept. Agr.) and in its saltatory power. Other food plants include potato, pumpkin, cabbage, ornamental plants, clover and many weeds. Remedies are the same as for leafhoppers. Beans, peas and other plants subject to injury should not be planted in or near old clover fields. Nuttall's Blister Beetle (Cantharis nuttalli Say).—Blister beetles do much injury to leguminous food crops and are particularly harmful to beans and peas. Nuttall's blister beetle is a large and beautiful insect, variable both in color and size (fig. 73). It is bright metallic green, the head and thorax have usually a coppery luster, and the wing-covers are often purple. It varies from a little over half to nearly an inch. Its habitat extends from the northern Mississippi valley region to the Rocky Mountains, and it is abundant from South Dakota to the northwest territories of Canada. It is related to the Spanish fly, the Cantharis vesicatoria or cantharides of commerce, has the same blistering properties, and might be put to the same use. The beetles make their first appearance about the first of July, ravenously devour the blossoms and tender leaves of beans and other vegetables, and, if report speaks truly, they are capable of destroying a crop in a day. From the rapidity with which this insect works, poisons are of little value. We must, therefore, resort to mechanical measures, and in their employment promptness and thoroughness are Fig. 73.-Nuttall's blister beetle. One-third larger than natural size. U. S. Dept. Agr.) Fig. 74.-Ash-gray blister beetle. Female at right, twice natural size; male antenna at left. Greatly enlarged. (Author's illustration, U. S. Dept. Agr.) essential. The beetles may be destroyed by driving them into windrows of dry straw or similar material and burning them; by sweeping them into a net, such as is used by insect collectors, and throwing the captured insects into a fire; or by beating them into specially prepared pans of water on which there is a thin scum of coal oil. The Ash-gray Blister Beetle (Macrobasis unicolor Kby.).— This is one of our commonest Eastern species (fig. 74), and although very destructive to beans and peas, is also a serious enemy of beets, potato, and tomato, and attacks besides sweet potato and some flowering plants. Blister beetle remedies are discussed on page 68. CHAPTER VIII INSECTS INJURIOUS TO BEETS AND SPINACH THE recent extension of the sugar-beet industry in this country has been the means of bringing to notice a large number of insects not previously identified with that plant. Owing to its lesser prominence as a merchantable product, spinach is not grown to the same extent, and it follows that its known insect enemies are fewer still. With the exception of some insects which will be mentioned, the majority of those which live more or less habitually on beets and spinach feed normally on related wild plants, including the goose foot, amaranth, saltbush and the like. During the last quarter century several insects have been so prominent as pests in fields of sugar-beet, that they have received names indicative of their beet-feeding habit, while some few take their common names from spinach. Of these are the beet army worm, beet webworm, spinach leaf-miner, spinach flea-beetle, beet carrion-beetle and the beet aphis. Up to 1907 nearly 200 species of insects have been observed to use beets as food. The greatest losses from insect attack are probably due to flea-beetles, but they, as well as cutworms and similar groups, are so irregular in their depredations that an exact estimate cannot be made. Different species of leaf-beetles and caterpillars, other than cutworms, do more or less injury, and several blister beetles devour the foliage of sugar and table beets freely; most forms of the last, however, usually make their appearance so late in the season that, although defoliation may be excessive, comparatively little damage is accomplished. The same is true of some species of grasshoppers. Two common forms of farm |