Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


 POTATOES
A TRAP CROP FOR THE BIG-FOOTED PLANT BUG (See also page 178)
 During the past two seasons the writer has successfully used
sunflowers as a trap crop to keep these bugs off of Irish potatoes
in the spring. Young sunflower plants will stand a light frost
and can be planted nearly as early as potatoes. A row or two of
sunflower around the edge and every hundred feet thru the field
will afford almost complete protection to the potatoes.
 MEALY BUGS (Pseudococcus citri) (See also page 180)
 When potatoes are kept in a dry place and allowed to slowly
sprout they frequently become heavily infested with mealy bugs.
They are most noticeable on spring-grown potatoes which are
kept thru the summer for planting the fall crop. They collect
in the eyes and about the bases of the sprouts. Mealy bugs give
off a copious secretion of honeydew, in which a black fungus
called sooty mold grows, as on a citrus tree infested with white-
fly (see Bulletin 148). Mealy bugs are sucking insects and the
presence of a numerous company on the sprouts interferes with
their proper development. Unless the soil is very dry they do
not multiply to any marked extent after the potatoes are planted.
 Probably the best way to deal with mealy bugs on potatoes is
to wash them off with a strong stream of water. Where good
pressure is not available the potatoes may be dipped in a strong
soap and tobacco solution. Wet potatoes must of course be
promptly dried or they will rot.

 STRAWBERRIES
 STRAWBERRY FLEA-BEETLE AND CRAPE MYRTLE
 (See also page 185)
 One of the favorite food plants of this beetle is the orna-
mental crape myrtle. Infestations in a strawberry bed are
probably often caused by the proximity of this plant. After the
crape myrtle is defoliated the beetles fly to the next best thing,
which may be the strawberry plants. Crape myrtle in the vicin-
ity of strawberry beds should either be cut down or watched
carefully during the spring and, if the beetles appear, at once
sprayed with lead arsenate. If the grower will attend to this
carefully, the crape myrtle will act as a trap crop to keep the
beetles off the strawberries. But, like all trap crops, it will
require close watching. A neglected trap crop is much worse
than none at all.