The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-11-20

last summer in all parts Of the coun
try. They seemed to he getting the
start OF land owners In corn and cot
ION fields as we'll as in orchards and
gardens.
The diculty in lighting the cutworm
lies chiefly in the fact that il operates
extensively in fields and hides in the
ground. Its operations cover such
wide territory and its migrations are
80 rapid that ordinary spraying proc
esses are not effective. This caterpil
lar is Identical with the army worm
and probably the same as tie cotton
worm. In habits and formation II is
Identical, though rather larger III
southern localities than in the northern
lake region.
When a farmer knows in the spring
that there are cutworms or army
worms in his fields he should adopt
vigorous measures. The extra work
involved Is cheaper than replantinr
his crops. \ second blowing of the
land is helpful. the last to be as near
seeding time as possible. All methods
of stirring the soil as summer warmth
comes on are beneficial. The pillow
tears up the nesting places. throws
the insects out where birds may get
at them and Greatest Il general dis
turbance.
This extra tillage is good for the
land and will go long way toward
exterminatiug the pests. In connection
with the work of plowing and Guilt
waiting it will pay to use preparation
made on the basis of one pound or
Paris green. thirty pounds Of bran and
two quarts of molasses. Moisten the
bran with water before mixing. This
may be manufactured in larger lots
If needed 1t is to be spread thinly
about the field If placed around II
garden. orchard or field 1t may serve
to exclude all caterpillars. Kerosene
emulsion is also recommended.
Where any crop has been damaged
by the caterpillar pest it Is good
policy to SOW alske. This is profit
able product, almost equal to cotton
or corn. when cost is considered, and
1t IS of great value to the soil.
Another good plan is to SOW part of
the affected ground to rape and allow
a drove of hogs to forage on 1t. A
rotation of crops. with an occasional
application of the preparation describ-
ed will rid farm of cutworms and
similar creeping pests.
The cankerworm is best known as a
pest Of apple and cherry orchards, but
It is even more destructive to elms.
Modern methods require frequent
spraying with arsenical poisons as n
protection of fruit against the codling
moth. and this has the incidental eff
feet of killing canker worms.
The San Jose scale can be destroyed
by the use of one of the lime and sui
phur mixtures. which may be purchas
ed ready made or brought into solution
by boiling the raw materials together
as follows: Fifteen pounds of lime. ff-
teen pounds Of sulphur and fifty gal
Ions Of soft water. For fifty gallons
Of the spray heat twelve gallons OF wa
ter in a four gallon iron kettle, mixing
in separate vessel fifteen pounds OF
sulphur with enough water to form
thin paste Add this sulphur to the
water in the kettle and bring the mix
ture to temperature just below boil
ing. Then add fifteen pounds of best
lump lime, keeping cold water at hand
to use as the mixture threatens to
boil over. After the lime Is fully slak-
ed. boil for forty minutes with almost
constant stirring. Then strain into a
fifty gallon tank and fill with warm
water.
Cooling moth, attacking apple and
other fruit trees, should be treated
with the bordeaux mixture, which can
be purchased ready for use or made
up as follows: Copper sulphate (blue
vitrioD, four pounds; quickllme mot
air slaked), four pounds; water to
make fifty gallons. Dissolve the cop
per sulphate by putting 1t In bag OF
cheesecloth and hanging this in YES
sci holding ut least four gallons, so
that it is just covered by water. Use
an earthen or wooden vessel. Stake
the lime by addition Of small guam
tity Of water and when slaked cover
freely with water and stir. Strain the
milk of lime thus made into the cop
per sulphate. Pour more water over
the remaining lime and stir the strain
into the other until all lime but stone
Jumps is taken out.
The bordeaux mixture IS effective In
treating asparagus rust. CABBAGE
worm, mildew, rot and parasites on
grapes, early blight, scab and Colorado
beetle on potatoes. leaf blight and In
sects on muskmelOns and watermelOns,
worms on tomatoes. raspberries and
blackberries, slugs and leaf blight on
roses, leaf spot on strawberries, rot on
fruit trees and nearly all insect pests
and fungoWs Diseases