The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-15
AGRICULTURAL.
Insect Foes.

are much troubled by any insect except
the white grub, wire worm and grass
hopper, and these do not seem to be
making much trouble in Vermont at
the present time except in limited
areas. The white grub is best fought
by killing the maybee mother, and this
can be done at this season of the year
by setting wash tub under tree or
among the trees. Then put into it a
pailful or more of water and upon this
pour enough kerosene oil to make it
quarter of an inch deep. Then in
the evening hang a lantern over the
tub with full blaze of light turned on,
and the beetles will fly against the lam
tern, fall into the tub and be destroyed.
AS 10 the wire worm, no remedy for
the pest has been found. One season
the Cornell Experiment Station tried
every remedy that could be thought of,
and nothing did any good. So we may
say the only way to do anything to ef-
fectually deal with this pest is to plow
the land very late in the fall so that the
worms will be exposed to the action of
the rains and frost. Possibly the crows
dig out and eat some of the worms,
the moles may also help to thin out
both wire worms and white grubs, but
grub which works in the ground is
vprv hard IN dea1 with
The application of paris green has
become so common that its use has be-
come matter of course, and probably
most farmers think there is little more
to be learned about its application.
The common custom in many places is
to soak up barrels and draw water TO
the field, then apply with some kind of
a sprinkler, the green being mixed in
the usual way. But in some parts the
dry gun is used, there being several
forms of this. No water is then re.
Quired, you simply walk along and turn
a crank. The poison is thus busted
over the plants in the least possible eff
fective quantity. A pound will go over
an acre ordinarily. AS there is no
water TO carry, no disagreeable mixing
to do, and the operator can walk very
rapidly, this method has great advan-
tages over the old way, but there are
two objections. One is that the Bor-
deaux mixture as commonly prepared
must be applied in water, and the green
can be mixed with the mixture and APP
piled without any trouble. Another
objection is that the dry poison may
blow on 10 the clothing of the operator,
or he may inhale it, but there are sell
dom serious results from this. An i'm
provement on the dry gun is the use of
the atomizer in the potato field. The
Woodason Liquid Spraying Bellows is
the old type of atomizers, but the '9S
machine is little pump to which can
is attached like the one on the Wooda-
son bellows. A teaspoonful of green
is put into the can, it is filled with
water, and one push of the piston of
the pump will throw fine spray over
the potato plant. This is much lighter
than the old-fashioned sprinkler, does
not waste the poison, and it may be
better than the other methods. Wheth-
er the Bordeaux mixture can be COM
bined and used with the poison in the
atomizer or not, cannot say.
Squashes, cucumbers, melons, and
watermelons are the prey of class of
insects which suck the juice from the
plants instead of chewing the leaves as
does the Colorado beetle. Their raw
ages can best be prevented by hand
picking. Most people do not grow
enough of these to prevent hand pick
ing, and when you have squash bug
between your thumb and forefnger,
you know he will not give you any
more trouble. But when hand picking
cannot be done, the kerosene emulsion
can be sprayed upon the plants, as this
is the usual reliance for defence against
insects which suck the juices of the
plants. To make the emulsion, dissolve
half pound of hard soap in one gal
lon boiling water. This is best done
by shaving the soap, putting it in the
water and boiling till dissolved. Then
remove from the fire and add immedi-
ately two gallons of kerosene. To mix
properly force pump must be used,
and the mixture churned through it
until thorough emulsion takes place.
This may take from five to eight min
utes. For use dilute one gallon of this
mixture with from ten to fifteen gal
Ions Of water. Apply with spray
pump. This is recommended for the
horn fly, and it can be sprayed upon
the cattle with safety. When it hits a
fly, it ends his career. But the most
satisfactory remedy for the horn fly
that the writer has found is kerosene
applied with an atomizer, the Wood
ason bellows being the one used. 1t