The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-05-04

ing 00uDtIeS 10 lHe IdcG IudG lue
effective element is volatile oil, the
foreign substance often failed to de-
stroy, as it did in my hands The
essential element had escaped.
In 1879 Mr.. William Sanders, of
Ontario, experimental with the Per-
sian Insect Powder, and pulverized
flowers If Pyreihrum coqmeat'7a and
p. Ro8eata1a, and ii e Delmatian, the
powdered flow ers Of p ci,7erdTiCe
foliunn He found the latter the
most efficient 1t only Kills by COM
ING in contact ami seems to paralyze
the insect a first and finally kills it
outright. Mr.. Saunders expert
meuted with house flies, blue bottle
flies, erasshoppers, plant lice, etc.
He found that all tell upon their
! backs in from tWoto six or eight
minutes. The insects remain para
lyzed sometimes for two or three
days before they die, aud few were
seen to recover so tar as to walk or
fly away.
Professor C. V. Riley has also at
tracked this problem. His expert
menls show that this substance is
equally effective against nearly, If
not quite all our insect foes. He
has found that mixing the pyrethrum
with flour it the proportion Of one
part OF the lyrelhrum to twenty
parts OF flour, i'll no way Injuries the
value OF the application, and that
when mixed with water at the rate of
one tablespoonful to one or even
two gallons OF VI alter, it still is po'
tent to de slroy.
The great argument in favor OF
pyrethrum is its harmless nature as
affecting man and other animals of
the mammalian branch. When
breathed it is no more disagreeable
;han any vegetable dust.
Heretofore the cost Of pyrethrum
has been a bar to its general use. 1t
has been sold at S1.25 per pound;
bur Mr. Mllco, OF Stockton, Calltor'
MIA, who mas for the last few years
grown this plant very successfully,
has informed Professor Riley that he
has grown 147 pounds to the acre,
and that tie whole expense OF put
ting 1t Gu the market need lot ex-
ceed or I cents. When its culture
becomes common, then we may ex-
pect tlat the price will not exceed
that OF London purple. Mr.. Milco
grows the p. ca1eerdr"i0etotlo0e, and
so manufactures the Dalmatian pow,
der under the name OF "Bubach."
1t is probably true that this plant
can lie grown in the Sonthtrn States,
and very probably in all sectors of
the United States feo, we may ex-
pect very soon to fiud it IN the
market al rates within the reach OF
all.
During the past season 1 have
tried this pyrethrnm, "Buhach,"
which received through the kind
ness oi Professor Riley, on the laryG
and images CT the potato beetle, on
the cabbage caterpillar (Piel1s rar@)
on squash bug, On llant lice, On
house flies, and Cd mosquitoes, and
found it speedy death 10 all except
the squash bugs, which even lived in
the powder Tor three days before dy-
inc. also found that one table
spoonful OF the powder to forty Of
flour was effective in killing the cab
bage caterpilars, and that the same
amount of powder to two gallons OF
water was even better, owing doubt
less to its more thorough applica-
ton. The result seems to depend
more Oh actual contact than upon
The amount of powder.
The significance of these facts is
fairly startling. We have cheap,
poisonous insecticide, by use OF
which noxious caterpillars are
brought low, beetles and their grubs
exterminated, flies and their mag.
gots put horS de combat, plant lice
overcome, parasitic lice-ot course |
mean those affecting sheep, cattle,
fowls, and other of our domestic ami
mals-extermined, house flies, and
mosquitoes sent where mankind has
long wished them.
To apply this substance to insects
which destroy vegetation, we can
best mix with water and apply with
a fountain pump. To kill horse flies
We have only to throw the dust about
the room by Use OF bellows. To
destroy vermin on cur domestic ami
mails we can wash them with the
liquiI mixture, or dust it well
through their hair, wool aud teath.
ers, and III case OF close rooms like
poultry houses, fill the room with