The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-27
DEATH TO HOP LICE.
A Discovery of Great Impor-
tanee 10 the Growers.
POISON IN TOBACCO PLANTS.
a Practical Experiment ny Renton
Farmer-Nstare Comes 90 the Res
cue and Gives . Remedy.

To Lee Monohon. a hop grower Of Rem
Ton, is due the eredis Of making an aeci-
dental discovery last week which may
prove solution OF the xexed problem Of
saving the hep vines from the destructive
attack Of the hop louse. namely the plant
Ing Of tobacco plants all around the hop
fields, two or three rows deep. These to-
oseeo leaves. according 10 Mr.. Monohon's
experience. are not only ssductively at
tTaetsve to the little winged hop lice that
migrate from the plum trees to the vines
m early summer, bat also deadly poison.
killing them of before they have a chance
10 lay the larve on the vines that brine
cut the generation Of wingleSS hop lice.
Mr.. Monoaoa came to the cisy and
showed a reporter of the Posr-INrEIxE-
GINGER two large tobacco leaves taken
from a stalk planted in his hop field The
leaves are nearly full growth some eighteen
inches long and twelve wide, and are
peppered with little black insects. dead, of
course, not one evidently surviving the
poisonous effect OF the plant Ia expiana.
ton Mr.. Monohon said:
THE fires on these two leaves wonld
never have attracted my attention had IL
not been for the great number of them on
the ground under each tobacco plant.
Then began examining all the plants,
and found the same condition Of affairs
under eaeh plant IL then dawned on me
that perhaps nature had At last come 10
our relief and given as an easy method OF
checking the ravages Of the destructive
hon louse.
Il have fourteen acres in hops near
Renton. and having been rather dis
eouraged by the experience OF former
a
this fail. deciaed 70 try what | could do
at raising tobacco. and not being certain
whether the soil on my land was adapted
70 tobacco culture, made an experimental
trial 0y setting on: on the outer edge
OF one side of my hop field 200 hills Of thu
best cigar leaf. Virginia stock. These
however, ] did not set out before the emf
OF June. at which time my hop vines were
well advanced. aud the winged hop lice
had commenced migrating from the plum
trees since about June /. After the plants
got good start and began sprta ling
flrst noticed the dies lighting on the to-
bacco and, fearing that the lice would attack
the plants and destroy them. | watched
them closely. then discovered the great
number of dead flies under each sto * and
peppered over the leaves. The number OF
the dead seemed 10 increase every day.
also noticed that he leaves seemed To at.
tract them and when once on them they
gradually seemed to lose their strength
and wabble about like drunken men, then
finally fall off, If on an inclined plane, or
otherwise lie there and die. | then exam
ined the hop plants in the vicinity of these
tobacco plants and found them eompara-
lively free from lice, whereas, on the sides
of the fields not protected by tobacco
plants the lice were thick on the outer row
of hop hills.
II feel fairly well satisfied In my mind
that have the key 10 the solution of the
hop louise problem. All that will be re-
CURED will be TO plant one. two or three
rows of these tobacco plants oil around the
ields early enough in the season TO attract
the winged lice when they nrss migrate
from the plum trees To the young vines.
l shall certainly experiment With IL next
season, and If | am as successful rs | am
well satisfied | snail be from present OBJ
servations, | shall not only have cleaner
and of course better hors. which will
mean more money for me. but shall also
save the yearly outlay OF over 500 for
spraying on an expenditure Of not more
than $40 for tobacco plants.
The two tobacco leaves are in the office
of the PosT-IsTEtIaegScER and can be ex-
amined by all interested in the matter.