The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-01
For the Gardener

This Is a fitting time to discuss gar.
den pests. for the plants have grown
sufficiently large to tempt their enemies
the bugs and beetles--to subsist
upon their tender leaves or juices.
Garden pests are divided Into two
classes-those which eat the plant
hbers and those which suck the juices.
All worms and beetles belonging to
the first named class plant lice. or
aphids; mites and scales belong to the
latter. Squash bugs and jumping plans
lice also receive their nourishment
from the plant juices. Therefore, 1t Is
reasonable TO suppose that insects Oh
the latter class cannot be exterminatcd
by poison placed on the plant when 10
draws its food from the inside of the
leaves and branches.
Paris green or hellebore sprinkled on
plants Will not have the slightest eff
| feet on lice. mites or scales These
insects must be treated a different
manner; their bodies must be covered
with substance which will prevent
them from breathing. or they must be
subjected 10 caustic which will shriYeI
| their bodies
The insects which actually eat tho
plant Will be killed by the poison
| sprinkled on the leaves. You will not
need to examine a plant closely for
the symptoms of these wretches; the
buds will be riddled with holes or
skeletonizcd
TIE destroyers of the garden. rose
bugs. cutworns. potato bugs and
squash bugs. can be killed by spraying
the plant with hellebore after q heavy
| Dew or rain. Arsenate OF lead dis
solved in water. using a pound to six
! teen gallons OF water is an effective
remedy for killing those soft-bodied
insects; but before spraying the foli-
nf hn lor tc y, tr,,t al
twenty gallons OF water. II you de-
side to destroy beetles, which have
! hard she'll bodies, add only eight gall
Ions OF water to the mixture.
Rose bushes should be sprayed every
| two weeks IL the bugs are to be ex-
| terminated
For garden pests that suck the plant
juices. apply soapsuds. using common
| yellow laundry soap. to which kero-
sene emulsion has been added. The
| plants should be sprayed each week.
and aphids succumb readily to this
| treatment. Dissolve the bar of soap
in fifteen gallons OF water by heating
II, and to this add one gallon of kero-
| sene.
Scales are the worst enemy of the
garden, for 1t Is difficult matter to
\ get rid of them. They not only draw
the juice from the plant, but Inject a
| poison as we'll, and one scale will be
the ancestor OF many millions during
the course OF the summer.
Anything that will destroy plant lice
Will kill the young scales. which ap-
pear In June: but there Is nothing that
Will penetrate the hard she'll OF the
! mature 3cale.
After the plants have lost their
leaves in the fall the mature scale
can be killed by the llme-sulphur
treatment.
To mix this properly use ten pounds
OF lime to eight pounds of flowers of
sulphur Place this in a vessel and
cover with boiling water. and boil for
nm hour; then add twenty gallons OF
water before the mixture cools Do
not use a brass or copper kettle in
which to boil the mixture.
Heat 1t before spraying the shrubs
and strain the liquid through sieve
fine enough to remove the large par
ticles. which might clog the nozzle
OF the sprayer.
Reach every branch and crevice. for
the scales are everywhere. Insist upon
flowers OF sulphur when purchasing
the materials. for stick sulphur will
not answer the purpose.
There many bugs and birds
which destroy the garden pests. and
these should be encouraged to live In
your garden. Orioles, cuckoos. wood
peckers, ladybugs and ground beetles
all kill the destructive plant insects
Exchange.