The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-01-17
THE BANE OF FLOWERS.
Destructive Work of Siugs-uow to XIII
hem.

Let II be granted ttlrt wiueta Tor, Meevr
wrote
Some flowerets OF Eden We still inherit.
But the trail OF the serpent Is over them all,
he referred to all trailing things, and the
truth of his statement will receive attesta.
ton from all who engage in gardening,
nither for pleasure or for a living, or who
combine the two, as did our great ancestor,
the first gentleman farmer The most en-
ergetie confirmation OF his words will come
from the ladies who now and then follow
their liege lords and masters into the field OF
the garden and help them tie up the vines
or weed the onion bed. CLASSY, glisten-
ing. sinuous trail over leaf, flower, path and
ground has excited the feminine CURIOSITY
which has been more than satisfied on dis
covering that it marked the course of II
shiny, loathsome slug. slug What is n
slug? "a naked snail, or n snail without
shell, of the genus L,man, very destruc-
tive to plants" so Webster says. Like its
shell-b airing relative ii is slow of loeomo-
ton, bat is mischeyously rapid in eating
down plants and flowers. In search for
information upon these pests, and by in
quiries pushed among those pestered, Il
chronicle reporter gained the following use
ful and entertaining facts; Sings are the
oane of a horticulturalist's existence. They
make their appearance in wet weather,
though not in the depth of winter, and -four
lsh beet in gardens that receive an excess of
tor
they multiply with a rspidtg that passes all
computation. Remaining hidden during
the daytime, they come out at dusk and
prey upon the tender seedlings and young
plants, eating them to the ground Every
evening they begin where they left off that
early morning, aud If unchecked will speed
lily ruin garden that has survived the au-
tuInnel frosts, the winters rigor and the
summers winds. The simplest aud best
cure will be found in a cabbage leaf This,
placed beside . plant which has suffered
from the slugs, will prove q most effective
protection, the voraclous pest preferring the
sncculent green to the garden stuff Go out
in the morning the leaf is still there, but
riddled with holes. Turn it over-ugh 10
every curve snd hollow 10 . slug-grest old
ones, two inches OF more IN length; tiny lit
lie ones taking their Arst bite Drop them
sill into tin can, which the sug hunter
must csAry with him ksrk how shs gress
ssn be seen through shs skin, how tina,
bunch up - one pokes them with . stick
There are many moro on the ground on
which the cabbage leaf lay. Pick them up
on the trowel How wary they are! Some
seem to escape and leave no sign. They
have not got away, but simply exuded Sc
sretion of slime to which the dirt clings
making the slug like . little lump Of earth.
At last the slugs are all gathered But what
is that depression in the earth, . tiny hole
with gray centre? Thrust the trowel in
-ah lit is pack Of slugs which have bur-
cowed into the earth. They are covered
with dirt, and as the days grow warmer they
go deeper into the damp mold. But what is
that cluster Of transparent globules, each
less than pinhead in diameter, looking like
tiny crystal pebbles from the beach at Pes
cadero2 Those are the eggs just ready to
develop into young slugs Put them in the
tin can also. This operation is to be re-
peated At each cabbage leaf, and if flower
pots or boxes standing in the garden be
raised raass of the losthsome objects will
be found osnSins to their under sidsl