The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-06-13
HarifuI fnr i .
The RepuIsfon Of the Yellow Bug from
Pumpkin Vines, DC.

Pumpkin Vines, &c
Mrssss. TUCKER & SoN.-The class Of veg
etables liable to the attack Of the yellow bug,
though not staples are yet important. The
pumpkin, ordinarily cultivated by the farm.
or. in the corn-feld, is valuable in connee-
ton with the fall feeding Of beef and pork,
and the production of milk. 1t ia tho more
valuable to the farmer because, when culti-
ysted in connection with corn, il is produced
70 cheaply. The winter squash 10 valua-
bic item in the winter stores Of the family.
The cucumber in July and August, and me-
Ions Of all sorts in August and September,
become cheap Injuries wherever there is =
light soil and a sufiiciency Of heat to ripen
them. The greatest obstacle often to their
production is the attack Of the yellow bug
And yet his repulsion is readily and chsaply
accomplished.
NODES or REPrLsroS.
/. Cover the hill, just as the plant begins
to appear, with thin bSts Of cotton or rds
tor, securing them against the wind by
Garth placed on the edge. The rising plants
will lift up this covering. 1t may be remov-
sd altogether when the plants make the 4th
Leaf. Such covering excludes portion OF
the light and air from the plant, while, on
the other hand, il secures il from harsh
winds and light pests. On small scale, IN
private garden, I used this mode with
great success in my boyhood.
q. I,illiret corered 60res--These are made
sbou, l2 or IS inches square, and about
or S inches high, of thin boards, the top be-
ing covered with MiIlinet, put on with car
net tacks. y light brace ought to be let in
10 the top Of the box, across one course, to
prevent the box from working out Of shape,
before the covering is put on This box IS
also a protection against wind and light
pests, though, by shutting off portion Of
light, It binders the growth somewhat in
fine weather. Even without the MILNE;
this box is usually protection against the
bug.
g. Dirt Hovnis-Tn light, sandy soils,
and for field or market garden use, this
mode is much more ready and cheap than
the preceding. Prepare yourself, first max
ins a moulding frame. This is done by IT,
king good pine boards about s inches wide,
sawed into four pieces so rs to make a bev-
cling box about one foot square at the bot
tom, and fifteen inches at the top. A brace
should he let in and nailed firmly across ono
Of the corners, the whole thing being made
like the box in No. abOvs, except that it ia
made beveling aud much stronger.
Place this box around your hill Of melons
or cucumbers. Then let the Garth be BANK
gu IEOuHl uttSItc " up VI lI4S
box Then strike the boz light blow on
one side to loosen it little, whsn it may be
lifted out, leaving 4 firm, sloping bank
around your hill. Two men should always
work together in making them, standing On
opposite sides. l used such banks many
years in . market garden. They may be
made probably for one-half cent apiece.
When properly made they viii stand hea-
W rain uninJrTed. The second time Of
working among your plants they may bc
removed readily with the hoe. Occasional
" the bugs will get into these earth boxes;
but, all things considered, prefer them TO
any mode l have ever used. They, too,
like board boxes, protect the young plant
from the cold winds.
4. tomatoes solcn among and around y0ur
rine pLants-This plan has often been re-
commended / have not tried, bu; certain
" think very favorably Of it. The rank
flavor Of the tomato plant is we'll known,
is offensive TO most insects. II is easy, near
the close Of the summer, to save tomato
seeds cheaply and in large quantities. Less
perfect fruits may be selected than those
used for your main crop IL dropping your
melon or other seeds, drop = few tomato
seeds with them, and circle around them.
Then cover ali up. The tomatoes will come
up as soon as the vines, and gain height fast
or. When your vines are out Of the way Of
the bugs, pull up your tomato plants care
fully, and throw them away.
In preparing your tomato seed for use,
first soak them a few hours, and then Ink
them with fifteen or twenty times their
amount of wood or coal ashes sifted. Stir
them well together. In the use of this
compound you Will be able to sow your TO-
Inato seed more speedily, evenly, and eeono-
nically, than you could if trying to SOW
them alone.
1t is sometimes recommended to bring
forward your tomatoes for this purpose in a
hot bed, then transplant them to your GU
eumber and other hills, but this Inethed
will be quite too expensive for tho farmer
and market gardener.
5. Mixtures of fresb rood asses, plaster,
sauH, tour, the latter being used to produce
the adhesion Of the other things, are often
used, and with more or less good effect.
When the proportion of ashes is too large
they sometimes burn the plant. Such mix
lures are, at best, but an imperfect protec-
ton of the plant, at least they have been no
in nay experience. They also need renewal
after heavy rains. One irnperfection attend
ing their use is the almost inpossibility Of
spvlying them to the lower side Of the leaf
Of the plant, where often the bug WORKS
the most fatally.
The application Of . cheap V0sh with .
syrings-a wash having . permanent and
offensive odor and taste, but one not scTi6.
might be useful. Of what such a wash
should be constituted, experience alone can
determine. Many things highly offensive
to one species Of animal are uos SO to ano-
Their.
In Conclusion. my experience throws me
back on the millinet covered box, for the
private garden, and on the dirt mounds for
the market garden, as being the cheapest
and surest modes of defsncs.-C. Z. Coop
r,cn, Utica, 1857.
Nnyrakn