The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-06-14
TOBACCO PESTS.
Some Of Them Described.
HOW 10 DESTROY THEM.

uJlo iI loLdCCO ueIuS ny luECCO pcSu
, and to lesser degree by parasitic
fungi. Much of this damage may h'
prevented by proper attention. To
hacco, like other crops, must b
sprayed or busted with an insectici lie
The best treatment for tobacco and
one that is entirely sale, is the follow
ing:
Flowers of Sulphur. ur.................S to S lbs.
| Powdered soap stone air-slacked
| lime..... ........................1oo 100 lbs.
Directions Mix thoroughly and
apply to the plants while wet with
dew or rain. The first treatment
should be applied soon after the plant.
have been set out. The second two or
three weeks later, and third two o.
three weeks after the second If the
we ,ther is wet, more frequent treat
ment may be necessary, but usually
three treatments will be sufficient 70,
the crop and season. No treatment
should be given within Is DAYS from
time OF harvesting crop. The best in
strument tor applying the above pow
der is a so-caled power gun. Ad-
dresses of dealers in powder guns will
be furnished by the undersigned to
those who want them. The above
powder may also be put on by jarrin g
from coarse sack held in the hand
or by two sacks attached one to each
end Ct pole long enough to reach
across two rows. The pole may be
carried On a mules back. Only q
slight dusting Is necessary, but the
powder should be evenly distributed
on leaves so that 10 insect can gnaw
any leaf without eating the poison.
No possible harm can come to the to-
bacco or those using 1t from this treat
ment which is similar to that given
fruit for SO many years without the
least danger or complaint.
! TIE worst and most destructive pest
of tobacco is the flea beetle. (Epithrix
parvula.I This is small, oval, brown
ish beetle about Is inch long. 1t
eats small, round, pin holes in the
leaves which then admit ssprophyt:c
fungus which enlarges the holes
These holes rum the value Of the leaf
Ioy many purposes and in every case
render it light and chaffy. The larva
Or grub OF this beetle also feeds upon
the roots o: the plants and does much
| damage. Besides tobacco, this insect
leeds upon jamestown weed and horse
nettle, and to some extent on ground
cherry, tomato, potato, egg plant and
pepper and other plants OF the tobacco
or so'onaceous family. If the James
town weed, horse nettle and other
solonaceous weeds in the vicinity OF
proposed tobacco field are heavily
poisoned with Paris green a week or
ten days before setting out the tobacco
plants, the chances OF damage to the
tobacco will be greatly lessene1. These
weeds act as nurses and supports for
the beetles before the tobacco comes
on the field. The tobacco IS so much
more juicy and tender that the insects
soon quit the weeds for the cultivated
crop. After the tobacco has been set
out al! these solonaceous weeds, horse
nettle, Jamestown, ground cherry, ETC.,
should be cut out. After the crop j..
gathered the stumps should be plowed
under at once or heavily poisoned to
prevent them from breeding insect
pests which will damage succeeding
crops.
Next in importance to the flea bee
tie we must place the horn worm,
Protoparce Carolina. The remedy ad
ylsed for the flea beetle will at the
salna time serve for the horn worn,
provided it is applied in time. But if
tee worms get large before being
poisoned they must be kand-picked.
Piclers should carry small bucket
holding some wafer and little kero-
sene oil. Throw the worms into this
as soon as picked. The bud worm or
boil worm, Heliothis, is often very de-
structive to young tobacco by eating
INTO the leaf buds. The best remedy
for this insect is mixture of Paris
green l part and finely ground corn
meal 1CO parts. Dust this on the
buds. This worm will not eat tobacco
while it can get corn. Tobacco is not
a good crop to follow corn in rotation.
The leaf miner, GeIochla Solonella, Is
a small greenish caterpillar which eats
out the green part of the leaf, leaving
the outer skins intact. 1t makes IL
regular or blotch mines In the leaves.
Many tobacco growers mistake this
for kind of rot due to wet weather.
This little Insect does considerable IN.
iury in some localities. I. tniects all
the other plants of the tobacco family