Bulletin 151, Truck and Garden Insects


-best used as a spray, which must be thoroly applied. The
formula (as given in Fla. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 76) is:
 Caustic soda (98 percent) .............................10 pounds
 Flowers of sulphur ...........................................20 pounds
 W after ..................................... .. ........ 20 gallons
 Mix the sulphur in cold water to a thick paste, add the
soda and as it boils add water gradually to make 20 gallons.
This water should be added fast enough to prevent burning, but
not fast enough to stop boiling. The result will be a dark coffee-
colored liquid. Strain thru a fine-meshed cloth or spray-strainer.
Keep in tightly .corked jugs. Mix 1/2 gallon of this stock solu-
tion in 40 gallons of water when ready to use. Other remedies
are: Lime-sulphur solution, dry sulphur, and dry sulphur and
lime. The last two are frequently unsatisfactory.

 PLANT-BUGS
 Pumpkin bugs (see under cowpeas, page 161), the big con-
vict bug (see page 204), leaf-footed plant-bugs (see under pota-
toes, page 178), and big-legged plant-bugs (see under potatoes,
page 177), and the brown stinkbug, commonly attack tomatoes,
particularly early in the spring. They may attack the stems of
the plants in the same manner as they do those of potatoes. In
addition, the first three species are quite fond of sucking the
fruit. If the fruit is of fairly good size they cause unsightly,
hard, brown spots, where they insert their beaks, very much
as they do on beans. These spots are, however, less permanent
than in the case of the bean. The sucking of the juice, of course,
interferes with the growth of the fruit. Very young fruit may
be deformed, "cat-faced," by their attacks.

 WHITEFLY
 A whitefly (Aleurodes tabaci) attacks tomatoes. Badly in-
fested vines may as well be destroyed. Less severely infested
ones may be sprayed as recommended under sweet potatoes.

 OTHER TOMATO PESTS
 Other insects attacking tomatoes are: Cutworms (see un-
der cabbage, page 137) ; plant-lice (see under cabbage, page 144) ;
flea-beetles (see under beets, page 136) ; blister-beetles (see
under beets, page 134) ; semi-tropical army worms (see cater-
pillars under sweet potatoes, page 186); and Colorado potato-
beetle (see under potatoes, page 179).