Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-06-23
agricultural Department
r. H. uosKINs, Editor.


These little pests arc not only great in
jury to trees and outdoor shruhbcry, hu
also to sc-plants as many Of our LADY
readers are well aware. We should Judge
from appearances, that they are going to bi
unusually numerous this year We saw Tho
other day, in Milton. a nice priyet hedge
nearly killed 10y them. and in un adjoining
town, a number Of SNOWFALL" (vibumum)
bushes similarly infested Some years they
multiply upon elm, poplar birch and other
trees, and the sweet fluid they secret is
poured forth SO abundantly as to cover the
leaves, and even drop down upon the ground
II is sometimes called " honey-dew.'
Every variety of tree seems to be troubled
with different kind different at least in
color and size, though this difference may be
due to the difference in the trees on which
they feed. They are usually found upon the
young shoots and under side Of the leaves,
but when very abundant they cover the
whole plant Wherever there are many Of
them. YOU will usually see them attended by
retinue Of ants, which feed greedily not
upon the lice, as some imagine. but upon the
sweet fluid they secrete. Flies and bees
also are attracted by this " louise honey
Several substances are injurious to these
insects. and may be used to destroy them.
A decoction ofQuassia wood has been recon-
mcnded soap-suds, shovcrod upon them,
seems to checl, them; but the hes; and most
convenient application is tobacco, which
may be used to smoke the plants, or in the
form Of a strong tea, may be showered upon
the leaves. When smoke is employed, the
plants must either be shut up in a room, as
in q greenhouse, or covered with some kind
of screen. 10 confne the smoke. A house
plant or two or three Of them, il small, may
be covered with q paper cone, or by cloth
hung over chairs, and the smoke conveyed
underneath. For few plants, a tobacco
pipe, with live coal in the bottom Of the
bowl, covered by fne-cut tobacco, may be
used to blow cloud Of smoke under the
cover. The smoke docs not always kin the
lice, but it stupedes them, so that by little
jar they may be shaken from the plant,
which should then be freely showered with
water, and returned to its shelf.
For outdoor application, tobacco water,
thrown by sprinkling syringe or pump
upon the undcrside Of the leaves, is the most
effective method of destroying these pests.
The tobacco tea should be made with about
pound Of tobacco stems, or cheap tobacco,
to four pals Of water. The tobacco may be
boiled in a part Of the water until the
strength is extracted, and then the rest
added The addition Of a pound Of soft
soap to the mixture is an advantage as
soapy water seems to adhere to the leaves
better than any other, and thus enables us to
bring the tobacco in more direct contact
with the lice. This application kills them
and in few days they will appear dried up
to little black points When allowed to
multiply without check, these insects will
always destroy or greatly injure trees and
shrubbery upon which they appear. For or
chard and nursery use, the best implement
we have ever had is the Page pump and
sprinkler, sold generally by seedsmen for
this and similar purposes. 1t costs about
five dollars.