Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-31
Your War Garden

Probably the comm0nest of the gar
den insect pests arc the many varieties
Of aphids, commonly called plant lice.
Practically all varieties of vegetables
and most trees and shrubs are subject
TO their attacks. There are great
many varieties of the species, ranging
in color all the way from black TO
light green. All are very much alike.
They are small. soft skinned insect
that suck the sap from the tenderer
parts OF vegetables. Some Of them are
underground workers, attacking the
roots and sucking from them the sap
until the plants are exhausted and die.
The presence Of ants upon vegetables
is usually the first sign Of the appear
ance OF plant lice. They excrete
sugary substance Of which ants are
very fond, and wherever plant lice are
present ants will be found, the latter
licking from the bodies of the lice the
sweet excretion. From this popularity
plant lice are known as ants COWS.
Many flowers are subject to the at
tacl1s of plant lice, the tenderer shoots
of sweet peas and asters being espec-
tally likely to be found covered with
them.
If controlled plant lice are not likely
to do much damage, but when left I'M
restrained the lice will cover plants in
solid masses hiding the leaves and
stems from sight. In such numbers
they do great damage. Frequently the
varieties that work underground are
found covering the roots OF plants ana
these when they attack in numbers do
much damage. The lice multiply with
great rapidity and gardeners should
be on the watch for them.
Soapy water. If applied directly on
the insects, will kill them. Ivory soap
or common white laundry soap, may
be used at the rate of one pound to
ten gallons Of water, or If only a small
quantity is needed four ounces of soap
to ten quarts Of water. The soap
should be cut into small squares, dis
solved by boiling, then diluted with
water.
Extract Of tobacco stems or leaves
containing about 40 per. cent OF nico-
tine, which may be obtained by boil
Ing the stems when diluted with water
and applied by a spray directly on the
aphids will kill them. The nicotine
extract may be diluted as much as one
part to 1000 parts Of water.
Kerosene emulsion is often used, but
the proportions must be right, and
even then there is danger of burning
the foliage. The proportions are
kerosene, two gallons; hard soap, one
half pound and water, one gallon. TINS
makes the stock solution. The soap is
dissolved by boiling in water and then
is churned or stirred up with kero-
sene. until the two are emulsified into
creamy mixture. This stock solu-
ton is then diluted with water, while
still warm, to the required amount.
For plant lice this should be diluted
one part with ten parts of water.
OF all the dangerous and Voracious
insect pests of the garden is the striped
cucumber beetle. They attack all sorts
of vines, including not only squash ana
pumpkins, but melons and cucumbers.
They attack in numbers and do great
damage. While destroying the plants
above ground they deposit their eggs
about the roots of the plants and the
srubs as soon as Matched attack the
roots and destroy the vines.
There are many preventative meas
ures and many old gardeners have
their own pet preventatives. all OF
which are more or less effective. The
beetles usually attack when the
vines are small. For this reason 1T is a
good plan to plant twice or three times
as many seeds as can be allowed to
grow. The extra ones furnish food for
the beetles and those vines that are
least seriously attacked are allowed to
grow, the others being pulled UP when
they begin to crowd-provided they
survive the attack Of beetles.
Any of the arsenic sprays will con-
troll the beetles, used at a rate Of three
to five pounds to fifty gallons of water.
Air Stacked lime mixed with sulphur,