The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-08-07
LITTLE INSECTS
DO MUCH HARM
.IT0 ALL CROPS
Bugs Hardly Big Enough to
See Cause Irreparable
Losses


tBy f. #. Rockwell. Author of
~Around the Year in the Garden
Home Vegetable Gardening" etc.)
Copyright lat. by w. Atlee Bur-
pee & Co.. Seedgrowers. PhiladeI-
lphia-l
II there Is one thing more annoy
3ng than anything else on earth to
the. average gar ~ner, 1t is to have
some little squint-eyed, yellow spot
ted. crab-legged bug about half as
big as split-pea, destroy In a few
days the vines he has been carefully
nursing along for weeks; or to nd
his late cabhages. or some equally
lusty. looking crop. turning pale and
hopeleas-looking just because a
bunch Of little green lice. that don't
look big enough or strong enough to
survive "a good puff of wind, have
eamped out In the under side of the
leaves.
They don't seem big enough ITO be
worth hothering about at first. and
so after killing a few. and cussing the
rest he let's them go. But they won't
go worth a cent? They stay right
there and go Aon increasing almost as
xast- As the high cost of living. They
Ands1up like the fleas in the sad tale
Bin Nyes used to tell about his dog;
the evening OF the day the poor dog
finaliy died and was buried, Nye got
back from the funeral and was nat
s1railz surprised to see. what he took
tq be the dog sitting on the front step
waiting for him. On closer inspec-
dion 1t proved to be only the fleas,
which had got back from the funeral
ahead OF Nye. and had gathered there
to ask him when he was going to get
a - =
bugs. worms. beetles, and plant lice
hanging around after they have
cleaned up the garden. remember,
that they; only want to express their
appreftatfon of past favors and will
come again :
Since the laws against patent med
ticines for people became more strict,
they have taken to making them for
garden pests. There are half a dog
EN- remedies" for every kind of bug
and worta: and as there are about
the; same number of insects for every
thing that grows. it looks at first like
quite complicated problem to know
what to do in any particular case.
But it's not. as bad as 1t looks.
There are three general classes OF
garden pests. and with a little obscr-
walton you can quickly tell to which
'of these any particular intruder be-,
g. the flrst abe the chewing insects
They chew and swallow portions of
leaves, or; fruits. They include such
Eesperadoes an the potato beetle. and
the cabbage worm.
The second are the sucking insects.
fThey take their meals in the form
lof the plants Juices, sucked from be-
dow the skin or surface of leaf or.
stem or fruit. To the beginner It Of
item seems impossible that they can
berta1e cause of the trouble which is
EaBparent They include the various
lkr6eh, black, and blue plant lice
which attack different vegetables and
flowers. scales, and some other.
l'ebugs." usually soft-fleshed. which
seem to make a good living without
visible means OF support
The third are the various maggots
fand root worm and bores which work
out of SIGHT, and are usually noticed
only when the results of their nefar-
i1ous labcrs suddenly become evident
So while there are q great many
bugs and beetles, from the point OF
jview of garden protection, there are
only three-those that eat, those that
suck. and those that keep out of
sight.
The things which can be used
against them may be simplified in
Efhe Same way. For the eating in
sects. use a stomach poison. Arson
ats,s OF lead Ii In general the most
satisfactory thing for this purpose. II
Ef6ffns the basis of most of the special
pcombinations or trade name inSecti-
lctdeB, many OF which are very good.
Recommended for the different eat
Ing fri6ectsi
For the sucking insects, arsenate
of lead Is practically useless. for the
simple reason that they never swaI-
low any Of tt What is needed for
<hefn II some material that viii Kill
ltAefn by contact This we have in
mfc0tths extract, and in kerosene
emulation The former is the more
effective, and also more convenient
10 use. Either of these can be used
In combination with arsenate Of lead
Sprays. but remember that In order
to be effective they must come into
direct contact with tho insect to be
effective.
IN addition to the insects. there are
several diseases which frequently
cause much trouble, such as late DO
tato blight, tomato rot" bean
sfrust, etc. There is no satisfactory
eAfe for any OF these fungus diseases
once they become established, but
spraying with Bordeaux protects the
unaffected parts, and If done in time
t1nay ward Off the trouble altogether.
As simple and effective a plan for
garden protection as can be had
therefore IL to spray all crops that
are likely to be attacked with a COM
binatton OF lead and Bordeaux mix
ture. Apply often enough to keep
new growth covered-every ten days
or so. To this spray add nicotine ex.
tract or kerosene emulsion whenever
sucking insects are present.
The NEXT article of this series will
tell what crops may still be planted
for use this fall. and will appear II
bre early issue