Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-05-03
To Prepare the Leading Insecticides.


The season in now at hand when it will
be found necessary for those who would
have bountiful harvest on the farm, or
from the orchard or garden, to prepare to
fight the injurious insects that attack so
many OF our croPs. Very many neglect
this work because it seems too much
trouble; while others do not know what
to do, and hence do nothing. A little
knowledge in regard to the habits OF in
sects and the uses and manner OF apply.
ing few OF the leading insecticides is all
that ia necessary in most cases.
Professor @. p. Gillette, entomologist
to the experiment station connected
with the Agricultural College at Fort
Collins, makes the following suggestions
and recommendations; and as he is
thoroughly familiar with the subjects,
that what he says can be depended upon:
"Those insects that gnaw and devour
foliage can usually be destroyed by the
application of London purple OF Paris
green. II used in water, they should us
ually be applied Ill the proportion OF one
pound Of the poison to about 200 gallons
Of water. When the plants to be treated
ply these poisons dry, This may be done
by mixing the poison with -four, plaster,
or other diluent, and busting il through q
cheese cloth sack upon the plants.
Among the insects that may be destroyed
by these poisons are the codling moth or
apple worm, the leaf rollers of fruit and
box-elder trees, the Colorado potato bee
tie, cabbage worms, army worms, etc.
"For insects that insert beak and
suck the juice Of plants, a different class
of insecticides is needed. To destroy
external contact. The most important
among this class Of insecticides is kero
sene emulsion, which is made as follows:
Dissolve one pound of hard soap in a gal
lon Of water. Remove this from the
stove boiling hot, add at once two gallons
of kerosene oil; and then, without delay,
agitate the mixture very briskly for few
minutes. If larger amount is being
made, the best way to do this is to use q
force pump and pump the mi!tnre with
as much force as possible back into the
vessel containing it. II the work il sue
cessful, the whole will become frothy,
creamy mass that will readily dilute with
with water. II the mixture fails to emul-
sify in two or three minutes, set the
whole mixture back over the fire and heat
it to boiling, when there will be no difficult
ty in making the emulsion. Before ap
plying the emulsion to plants, dilute il
with nine times as much water as you use
of both water and kerosene in making the
emulsion. In the above case twenty sew
en- gallons of water should be added
The emulsion is best applied by means OF
a ray-pump and nozzle. This emul-
sion is specially useful for the destruction
of plant lice, the grape leaf-hopper, para
sites ON domestic animals, and most soft
bodied insects to which it can be applied.
Soapsuds is often used in place Of the
kerosene emulsion, but is very much less
| effectual, Lime, which is often recon-
mended, is of almost NO use. Patent in
secticidee in general should be let alone,
There is one notable exception however.
and that is the pyrethum or buhach
which is sold in the markets as insect
powder. 1t is very useful for the de.
struction Of house flies, cabbage worms
and soft bodied insects generally to which
it can be applied. It is not poisonous tc
man.