The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1899-06-15
Garden Enemies.

During recent years the insect enemies
numerous than formerly, largely on ac-
count of the ravages of imported varie-
ties, which seem to thrive in their new
environments, and thi makes the knowl-
edge OF how to meet these new enemies
absolutely necessary to the greatest sue
cess.
The best way to begin is to give the
various garden crops the best possible
| chance by providing good SOIL proper
plant food and cultivation that they may
grow up vigorous and better able to re-
sist destruction from insect pests. With
out these the crops will not be worth the
trouble of preventing attack from these
destroyers.
After these come watchfulness and
prompt attention to remedial measures.
There is hardly an insect pest but can be
destroyed with little trouble if taken when
it first puts in an appearance.
Below we give the names of the worst
of the insects and the means used to de
stroy them.
Cutworms are hard to catch, as they
keep hidden during the day. Usually
they do but little damage if the garden is
| plowed very early in the spring and allowed
to freeze and thaw few times. A good
way to kill them is to sprinkle Paris green
on slices of potatoes and lay these pieces
near freshly set out plants.
| Paris green also kills potato bugs in a
| very short time. Most people use the mix
ture too strong. Two ounces to fifty gallon
of water is effectual if the mixture is kept
constantly stirred. Striped cucumber bugs
| ,ha,, |, l,ox, a. I'll
They come in night and destroy the vines
in day. Usually they send scaJterins
advance guard, which should be a warning,
for thousands are certain to follow Mix 5
pounds of air. Stacked lime aud a quarter of
an ounce of Paris green very thoroughly
and dust the leaves with this while the dew
is on in the morning. Do this before the
bugs come, and repeat occasionally until
danger is past, which will be the last of
June usually although they sometimes
| come later. Do not leave any clods around
the hills. Make the surface smooth, so
there will be no hiding place for the bugs,
and sprinkle the mixture on the ground
pretty freely. SCOT from the chimney
where wood is used is good, and we have
driven them away with road dust sprinkled
freely on the leaves, as they seem not to
| like grit. Be sure to get the remedy,
| whatever is used, ON the under side OF the
leaves, as there is where they feed.
Squash borers are be coming worse
every year, seemingly, and in some sections
they have made it almost impossible TO
grow squashes. They work in the vines,
beginning AT the roots. The eggs are laid
early in the season on the stems uSt where
they come from the ground and the borer
| matches and works inside. The lime and
| Paris green will be a good thing to use
early in the season, and as the vines begin
| to grow hoe soil over the crown where the
| vines come from the ground. AS the vines
| make growth cover every second joint with
soil to the depth of inches and roots will
strike into the soil almost at once, adding
vigor to the vine, even keeping it growing
when the borers succeed in getting into it,
Ii the vine begins to droop, split it open
with sharp thin knife and find the borer
and kill it. Then cover with soil and it
will usually revive and grow without
| injury.
| Cabbage worms are certain to be with
us, but they are. SO easily destroyed that
| they should not create much alarm. Take
common Persian insect powder, being sure
to get that which is fresh, and put it into
common powder gun, or in the absence
OF that, pepper box with perforated
| top, and early in the morning sprinkle a
little of the powder over the inside of the
| leaves on the worms that are at work. In
five minutes every worm that is touched
will be dead, and few such treatments
are all that is necessary in season. The
insect powder is not poisonous to anything
but insects and may be used with safety.
Farmers Voice.