Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-19
INSECT PESTS OF THE GARDEN

INSECT PEST ) OF The GAhDEN
The cultivator of the soil in Cali
fornia must wage perpetual warfare
against insect life to be successful In
growing fine plants, and we shall try
to instruct the readers of this paper
how to keep in check at least some
of these enemies that must be sub
dued. One of the class that burrow in
the soil and feeds on the roots of
plants is a small hard shelled worm,
with Thousand legs" known as mil
lipedes. The full grown worm is not
over a half-inch long and about as
thick as a steel knitting needle. To
see this terror of the gardener 1t is
necessary to get down close to the
ground. He feeds on the roots of vio-
let's, roses, carnations and on the
tops of the pretty English primrose.
His presence is only revealed by per-
forated foliage, and sicklv looking
plants. Many a gardener has worked
in desperation to secure good crop
of good roses, by careful and thorough
cultivation and the application of fer
tilizers. and wonder at his lack of sue
cess. While he was at work on the
surface his tireless opponent was
equally as Industrious at the roots of
the plants. eating away the tender
roots and when they are exhausted, go
to work on the harder parts.
We recently saw in an English pub
lication the figure of a magnified head
of this creature which showed his man
dibles to be made after the pattern of
those of the parrot. To get after this
pest and exterminate 1t or at least to
reduce the numbers to such an extent
as to make gardening a success has
taxed the ingenuity of the wisest of
gardeners.
Bisulphide of carbon, foul smelling
liquid, also highly infiammable, can be
used in beds to advantage, by making a
hole in the soil with a broom handle
five or six inches deep and putting in
a tablespoonful or two of the liquid,
covering it quickly. The vapor per-
meates the soil and kills every living
thing within a radius of fifteen inches.
After trying everything we knew of,
the simplest and most effective remedy
was found in placing small pieces of
boards among the plants with lettuce
leaf or apple or potato parings be-
meath. which is an attraction to them,
then by using boiling water on the
pests after about three months of per-
sistent effort, a garden may be rid of
them for year. This pest works be-
meath the surface and now for the
other that works on the surface of the
soil. which, too. is the despair of the
gardener who cares. It is known as
"slug." 1t may not be generally
known, yet it is a fact that this pest
is provided with teeth the same as his
gardener friend" and his habits are
nocturnal. While the Industrious gar
dener is asleep dreaming of fine car
nations or brilliant cowslips, and fine
lettuce, or a fine lot of perennial
larkspurs. this pest is at work indus
triously devouring the buds of the car
nation before it gets out of the calyx.
or the tender leaves of the larkspur,
a plant that 1t relishes more than any
other. A bed or box of Seeding plants
just showing the character leaf. which
may be the joy of the gardener of an
evening. While he sleeps big fat slug
may clean off the entire lot so thor
oughly that not a trace of the plants
are left the next morning.
The same method used for the de-
struction of the milpides will also suf-
flee for the determination of this pest,
while it is small, but the big ones must
be hunted at night with lantern and
a strong wire with a sharp point To
be successful the pursuit must be kept
up. Spasmodic efforts do but little
good. The gardener who is not willing
to pay this price in work, need not
hope to get the most pleasure out of
his labors in Horticulture. We have