The Indianapolis journal., 1903-04-06
FARM AND
GARDEN ~
INTERESTS

Philadelphia Record.


Now that warfare on insects and fungi
must be kept up. it is important that farm
ers and fruit growers perform their work
at the right time and use the proper reme-
dies for accomplishing the objects desired.
So many mistakes are made in combating
the enemies of plants that the Agricul-
tural Department never ceases to send out
bulletins Of information at ali seasons,
while the State experiment stations also
greatly aid in the work. The use of insect
icides and fungicides in combating the
many insect pests and plant diseases is
we'll established, and their value is con-
ciusively shown, yet there are many farm
ers and fruit growers who still un-
familiar with the details of their use.
Some do not seem to underst9nd how to
separate the insecticides from the fungi
cides, and they apply the wrong remedy
frequently because or a lack of knowledge
or how TO proceed. According to the re-
suits obtained at the Rhode Island station
the greatest loss, however, occurs from
negligence. or from not spraying as fire.
quently as necessity demands. The formu-
las have been given frequently and are well
known, but their application at the proper
period is the most important. 1t is now
admitted by all experienced fruit growers
that the Sprayer is a necessary adjunct to
the production of fruit, and that where it
is not used there will not only be no crops,
but the neighboring orchards will also be
endangered. The best results are obtained
when the growers in a neighborhood are
organized and work in harmony, for then
experienced can advise those who may not
fully understand the proper methods to
pursue.
A fungus is a plant that is destitute of
the green coloring matter of the higher
plants, and as this green coloring matter,
or chlorophyll. is the only substance
known through which the plant changes its
crude food material to nutritive food ma
terial, it is evident that fungi must feed
upon organized material which has been
previously elaborated by the host plant, and
which is adapted to their wants. That
portion of a fungus which causes the dam
age TO the host plant is composed of long,
fine threads. known as .hyphae." which
occur either separately or in bundles. TAX
en- together they form the vegetated por-
ton. or mycelium, of the fungus. This
mycelium corresponds to the roots and
stems of the Towering plants. Spores are
organs which are produced upon the my
celium. either upon the main body or upon
branches thrown out for the purpose.
Spores take the place of seeds in the higher
plants, though really they are not seeds, as
seed contains young plant, while
spore, being composed of one cell, does not.
Given proper conditions however the spore
will send out fine flament, which de-
velops plant similar to the original from
which 1t came. There are two kinds of
spores-summer and winter The summer
spores are borne upon the surface of the
host plant. They ripen quickly and repro
duce the fungus rapidly, but soon lose
their viality If proper conditions for germ
ination are not given in a short time after
maturity. The winter spores are usually
produced within the tissues of the host
plant-commonly In the fruit and leaves.
They live through the winter, and in the
spring, with favorable conditions, germ
mate, and more fungus is again developed.
AS the fungus is developed within the host
plant all remedies are useless, as it is i'm
possible to reach the interior of the plant,
but the spores should be destroyed before
or at the time of termination, all treatment
being largely preventive rather than cura-
tive.
In the destruction of insect pests the
remedies are designed to act in one or two
ways In one way the poison is taken into
the digestive tract of the insect and causes
death. This is done by simply coating the
plant with some poisonous substance, such
as paris green, which is taken by the in
sect with the food. By the other method
the food is not poisoned, as the material
such as kerosene emulsion, is applied di-
rectly to the insect and causes death either
ing the breathing pores. Many insects can
not be poisoned as they feed upon the
juices of plants by sucking and do not eat
the external covering, but many of them
have soft bodies, so that they succumb
to treatment if the poison comes in contact
with their bodies, kerosene emulsion usual
or lice, feed by sucking. as do also the true
bugs, or which the squash bug Is an ex-
ample. For the chewing insects, such as
canker worms, the poison should be evenly
distributed over their feeding places, and
may be applied before they are present, as
in spraying for the codling moth before the
insect is hatched. For sucking insects it Is
sect appears. The chief remedy as a fungi
eide Is the Bordeaux mixture" made by
dissolving six pounds of copper sulphate
in sixteen gallons of hot water. In another
vessel dissolve four pounds of lime in six
gallons of water. Pour the lime water into
the copper solution slowly, stirring well,
and then add twenty gallons Of cold water
and spray. For biting insects use paris
green in the usual manner. For sucking
insects use the kerosene emulsion made by
shaving a pound of hard soap and dissolv-
ing in gallon of boiling water. Remove
from the fire and add gallon of kerosene,
agitating or churning for fifteen minutes
with the sprayer until creamy substance
is formed. Then add fifteen or twenty gall
Ions Of cold water. Kerosene will not mix
with water, but will form an emulsion with
soap and water.