The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20

last OF her eggs. For more than an hour
1 watched her. She struggled on and on.
ooeying the instinct TO secure for her young
their proper food when they were ushered
into the world. At last she succeeded I'm
finding a bit OF wild carrot. and on this
she settled, and. her life ebbing away, de-
posted the eggs. Having fulfilled all her
expectations, this anxious mother sank
upon plant, worn and exhausted, proba-
bly, never TO rise again. ! have observed
the same persistence in plants. / have
cut down plants toward the end OF the sea-
son, and just before the fruitlng time, and
have observed later that tender shoots
tiny blossoms on them. Unable 10 bear
fruit normally. 1T persisted in doing it's
THEIR CHOICE OF FOOD.
Some insects do not confine their food
to plants of one order. but seem to be
omnivorous. The cabbage butterfly is very
partial to the nasturtium, as well as the
plants Of the cruciferous family, and I
have found it also on the mignonette.
1.-The plants in the garden are arranged
in small groups or small masses, so that
1t is easy to apply the poisons and 10 ex-
pertinent without interfering with other
plants. 1t makes it possible 70 cover up
certain plants with small tent or canvas
case to secure the fumes Of bisulphide OF
carbon and cyanide of potF @sium and sui
phurtc acid gases and the easy application
OF insecticides, both in the powdered state
and liquid form, and also for the testing
OF the numerous new insecticides that flood
the market The object OF this is TO find
cut what will kill the insects without in
juring the plant, so that we may apply the
proper remedy when the insect is found i'm
the park Sometimes l have to try eight
or ten different strengths of poison before
] find the which will work in the
juices of the leaf-eating insects and Kill
them without injuring the tissues of the
pant. In order to do this successfully il
Is necessary TO make a chemical analysis
OF the plants i started the garden four
years ago. in order to learn about the
aphides. or plant lice, that take up their
food by suction, and about the leaf-eating
species Of Lepidoptera."
do you find any insects which are not
native to this country"
Yes. the elm beetle, which was brought
here from Germany. 1t was landed an
Germany, i think, about thirty years ago.
The wood leopard moth. or elm borer is
another. 1t probably came from Germany
1 discovered il about twenty years ago. IL
is almost omnivorous. 1t feeds inside at
least one hundred sepcies of trees and
plants, and has destroyed thousands upon
thousands OF the finest maple trees on
Long island and in New Jersey. The eggs
are laid at the junction of the leaf with
the twig. There they hatch. and the larvae
emigrate to a larger limb. and finally reach
the trunks. These they grirdle, so that the
first heavy wind breaks off the limb or tree
at the point where the insect has been at
work. / have seen trees eight or ten inches
In diameter cut off. The San Jose scale il
another pest imported to this coutry. 1 be-
lieve China has been located as its native
habitat. That came into the country on the
Japanese ounce. 1t feeds upon roses.
II have found in the garden many
curious creatures L never knew were here
might flying moths mostly. Ii Is part OF
an entomologist's duty TO watch at night
TO discover where eggs which are unex-
pectedly found on plants come from"