Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-07-06
Watchsthe Insects.

For the protection Of. melon,
SQUASH and cucumber vines, the
Ransom process is an excellent one.
Small pieces of boards, chips or
shingles are placed upon the ground
near the vines. The bugs collect
under these during the night and
are killed early the next morning
Usually nothing answers a better
purpose than a pint of coal tar,
dissolved in warm water. Re-
move the soil carefully from about
tine base of the stalk and moisten
it wth a whisp Of hay or straw
dipped in the liquid. The bugs
will descend at night to burrow as
usual, but will try it but once.
SCOT and siited wood ashes are ex-
cellent when busted upon the
plants when the dew is on or just
after a shower.
The cabbage worm is Matched
from small white egg which is
deposiied on the under side of the
leaf by a small butterfly Of whitish
color. having black spots on each
wing. Market gardeners find it
profitable to offer to boys reward
Of one cent for each butterfly, Each
boy is supplied with a net made
by bending a piece Of stiff wire
into circle eighteen inches in
diameter and fastening it TO the end
OF lightpole A bag of mOsqu ito
netting 10 be sewsd to the wire. A
cautious sweep of this net will
capture tie insects, and half twist
in the middle of the bag will hold
them. NJ. 4 Robinson, Of Kansas,
uses pinch Of London purple IN
the proportion Of halt pound to
thirty pounds of finely pulverized
dry soil.
He applies it when the plants
a-e dry and no wind is blowing, and
after every rain. 1t insures good
crop, and the family eat freely of
the cabbage. He considers the
remedy harmless one. The use
of a small handful of rsw-bone
superphospates well mixed with
the soil when the plant is set, and
the same amount on the surface
about the stem OF the plant at a
subsequent hoeing, has Producod |
good results. Another is 70 make
a strong, clean .suds of lys soap,
let it stand in the sunshine three or
four days and use. Or make a
strong solution Of limewater and
pour it over the cabbage in the
evening; or sprinkle two spoonfnls
of airslacked lime on the plants
whenever the worms are seen. An
extensive cabbage-grower near
Nashville, Tenn, protects his crop
by scattering a handful OF dry dirt
lime or gypsum, over and in each
head as soon as the worms appear,
and then phil off prime (lower)
leaf over the top of the head. The
next morning he lifts it off, and
finding the worms sticking to it,
destroys them.
With the constant increase Of
noxious insects, caused in part by
the wanton destruction of insect
eating birds, it has become neces-
sary in the production OF garden
and field crops, to wage constant
and upceasing warfare upon our
insect foes The American hus
bandman has paid too little atteR-
ton. The agricultural colleges |
should each hava competent pro-
fessor Of economic entomology that
would cooperate with the progress
sive farmers throughout the State
in devising ways and means tor
the better protection of our insect
friends, and the swift obstruction |
of the insect foes of the orchard,
garden and field crops. The con-
viction IS becoming general that
entomology and botany, both Of
which orc studies of practical utility
should be taught as regular
branches OF study in our public
schools.