Evening star., 1898-06-28
.PESTIFEROUS BUGS
Insects Which Infest the Shade Trees
Of Washington.
TULIP TREES THEIR ESPECIAL PREY
The Only Remedyis Expensive and
Hard to Apply.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PEST

| Upon the shade trees along the streets
| and avenues of the city, especially the
| beautifully leaved tulip trees, is a numer-
| Gus family of greenish-white mites, which
| is causing much ccIcern. In many in
| stances the trees infected by these plant
| bugs are rapidly showing symptoms of de-
cay, the leaves turning yellow and falling
| this early in the season. Along 10th
| street northwest. Rhode Island avenue and
| Il portion Of 18th street, where the tulip
| trees are quite abundant, the lawns and
| streets are each morning covered with
| leaves and each leaf is mass of these
| tiny green bugs. The mites blow off
| the trees in a strong breeze and are often
| found in many of the fine residences in the
| fashionable quarter OF the city. In fact,
the bugs have become such a nuisance,
| especially on 10th street, that it is impos-
| sible for one to sit upon the lawn with any
| degree of comfort, ones time being aln.cst
| exclusively taken up in the endeavor to be
| rid of the bugs, which are constantly drop
| ping from the trees.
| Minute as these little pests are their
| name is by no means so. At the Depart
| ment of Agriculture. in the entomologist' 5
| division, a large volume contains the offi-
| cial and scientific designation of the
| creatures. 1t is "Siphonophcra liriodendri,
| Monel,'' the latter being the name of the
| Sc-eHllSI discovering ana christening lut
| insect. When one reads the name of this
| little terror there is no longer wonder that
| he wreak so much damage, even to a
| grown-up tree. There is a remedy for the
| bugs, but 1t is so expensive as to be hardly
| practical. The remedy consists of a kero-
| sene emulsion that must be sprayed all
| oy the tree. The emulsion must be used
| in such large quantity as to make 1t eX-
| pensive, and its application is difficult, re-
| qUiring an especially constructed apparatus
/ or pumping machinery.
| Where They Thrive.
The bugs are to be found in great plenty
about Washington each year. They infest
nearly every known variety of tree, follow
ing the first symptoms of decay, and as the
| tulip is perhaps the most unhealthy tree
| in the city, il is on the leaves of this va
| rety that the bugs thrive in greatest num-
| bers. They may also be found on healthy
| trees. but in such small numbers to be
| almost beyond notice.
| The vigOr and heaIthfulnesS of plant
| growth has much to do with freedom from
| insect injury. such plants seeming to have
| a native power of resistance which renders
| them, in measure, distasteful to most
| insects, or, at least, able to throw off or
| Withstand their attacks. A plant or tree
| already weakened, however, or of lessened
| vitality from any cause seems 20 be espe-
cially sought after. is almost sure to be
| the first affected, and furnishes starting
| point for general infestation.
| Superintendent Smith of the Botanical
| Gardens, when seen this morning by a re-
porter for The Star, declared that the tulip
| tree is one that requires large amount OF
| room for perfect growth, and for that rea-
| son is only adapted for park planting and
| rot for municipal planting along the side
| walks, where the roots are covered with
| pavement and do not receive a sufficient
| supply of moisture and health-giving sup
| port from the earth. Mr.. Smith declares
| that he has never approved of the planting
,ID y *
| reason They are first TO grow unhealthy,
| and once in that conGition the Siphonopho-
| Ia liriodendri quick to make their ap'
| pearance in countless numbers.
| The drought of several weeks past, 1t is
| said. has had much TO do with the early
| decay of the leaves of the tulip trees. 1t
| is only under the best conditions that they
| thrive, and bighted under the conabina
| ton of a lack of moisture and an over
| abundance of sap-eating bugs, the trees
have already almost been impaired to such
| an extent that their beauty and advantage
for shade purposes has been ruined for the
| remainder of the summer. These small
pests appear even under natural conditions
and Hkened to the mites to be found
in animal life.
| The Sphonophora liriodendri feed by
| burying their bills deep in the leaf and
| Eo kind of poison that may be scattered
| upon the tree will affect them. Thus 1t is
| that some solution that VIII kill by contact
| has to be made up and sprayed in plenty
| over all the affected trees. The enormity
| of this task in city the size of Washing
| ton and so well supplied with trees as is
| this capital of the nation can be imagined.
| 1t is of such magnitude as to preclude TIE
| possibility OF any attempt al the extermina-
| ton of the plant mites. \ tree affected by
the small bugs is easily distinguished by
its yeliow-tinged leaves and the diScolora-
| ton OF the pavement beneath.
| The Remedy.
The remedy for these mites and other
| plant insects of their variety, prescribed by
| the Department of Agriculture, through
| Mr.. c. l.. Marlatt, first assistant entomolo-
| gist to DIR. l.. o. Howard who is in charge
| of that division is the kerosene emulsion
| mentioned, composed of two gallons of kerr
| osene to half gallon of whale-oil soap,
| or one quart of soft soap and one gallon OF
| water. The soap, first finely divided, is dis
| solved in the wafer by boiling and imme-
| dlately added boiling hot, away from the
| fire, to the kerosene The whole mixture is
then agitated violently while hot by being
| pumped back upon itself with a force pumI
| and direct discharge nozzle throwing .
| strong stream, preferably one-eighth inch
| in diameter. After from three to five min.
utes' pumping the emulsion should be per-
| feet, and the mixture will have increased
| from one-third TO one-half in bulk and as
| sumed the consistency of cream. Wei
made, the emulsion will keep indefinitely
and should be diluted only as wanted fol-
| use.
| For the treatment of large orchards or IL
| municipal work requiring large quantitie.
of the emulsion, it will be advisable tC
| manufacture 1t with the aid of a steam OF
| gasoline engine, as has been very success
fully and economically done in several in
stances. all the work of heating churning
etc, being accomplished by this means
Another Form of Emulsion.
Another wash is made up of two gallon:
OF kerosene to one gallon of sour milk
Heating is unnecessary in making the mill
emulsion, which otherwise is churned as il
the former case. The change from a watery
liquid to thick buttery consistency, mucl
thicker than with the soap, takes plac,
very suddenly after three to five minut IS
agitation. With sweet milk difficulty viii
frequently be experienced, and il the emul
sion does not result in five minutes the ad
dition OF a little vinegar will induce promp
action. 1t is better TO prepare the mil,
emulsion from time to time for immediate
use, unless 1t can be stored in quantity il
| alright jars, otherwise it will ferment ant
spoil after week or two.
| When applied the solution is diluted with
from 10 TO - parts of water and force,
through spray pump. There is a larg
gasoline spraying outfit at the Department
OF Agriculture which is used about tn