Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892 Excerpt:...and by (generally) not having long horns. They are commonly of small size, oval shape, and bright colour, The attack of this Beetle may be known by the brownish slug-like grub eating the skin of the leaf in lines, as shown in the figure. The Beetle is not uncommon from spring to autumn on corn or rushes. It is of a deep greenish blue, with reddish orange fore body, and somewhat less than a quarter of an inch long. See Curtis's 'Farm Insects,' p. 307. with the head sunk into the fore part of the body up to the eyes. The figures will give a better idea of the appearance of these Beetles than any description. Fig. 91.--Mustard Beetle, nat. size and magnified; grub, magnified. The Turnip Flea Beetles are well known for their leaping powers. They live during winter under clods, or in dry stone walls, or any convenient shelter, and Fig. 92.--Turnip Flea Beetle, eggs, maggot, and pupa; nat. size and magnified. come out with sunshine in spring. Then they feed on any plant of the Cabbage kind; Charlock is an especial favourite, until the young Turnip plants are come up. Presently they lay their eggs (if on Turnips) on the under side of the rough leaf, and from these the grub eats its way into the leaf, within which it feeds for about six days. It then comes out, buries itself in the ground, and turns to the chrysalis, from which the Beetle appears in about a fortnight, ready to begin a new attack. The first point in prevention is to take care there is as little winter shelter as possible. Lumps of manure and clods of earth on the field; heaps of stones and rubbish, such as are often allowed to lie in corners of fields; large amount of dead leaves on the borders of woods; and dry dykes, or open stone walls--are all winter shelters. Another point is to let there be as...