Evening star., 1918-05-05
Fighting bUGPESTS
IN THE WAR GARDEN
Many Methods Used In Com
batting insects That Destroy
Vegetables and Plants.

0arC0n crops gunef from the attacks
and ravages Of insect pests from the time
the seed Is sowed or planted in the ground
and after it has germinated until the
crop is harvested. Moro than 100 Diff
ferent species Of insects have been cata-
logued by entomologists Of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture and their importance
as crop destroyers gaused. while the ex-
perts have devoted much time to the dis
covery of methods Of combating the
ravages Of these pests and Of destroying
them.
In the planting Of seeds or setting out
the garden particular attention should
be given to guarding against insect attack
throughout the growing season. Duo care
for each ~ erop % Be aas Selected e enae the reau
site amount of sunlight and heat be Sc
cured and that the soil be not already
infested by insects. Attention should also
the soil where necessary. Due care should
also be taken in regard to the seed. that
1t may not be infested by insects which
will attack the plant after 1t has made
some little growth. such as the bean and
pea weevils
Mechanical Methods.
After these questions have been solved
the next problem is the question Of
weather, which not only affects the grow
Ing crop, but has q decided influence on
For garden insects there are several
control methods that do not require the
use Of insecticides. but too much must
not be expected from them. They are
useful for the control Of some forms Of
pests and Of no value for others. Among
beating, collecting in nets and in hop
perdozers, blowing and ditchinE. trap
ping and driving.
Hand Picking.
Hand picking is useful for large, COM
paratively inactive insects such as the
Colorado potato beetle. cut-worms and
other caterpillars and the squash bugs
It is also Of use for removing egg
masses Of these and other insects. This
IL one Of tho most primitive methods
Of controlling insect pests, but It is a
simply impossible remedy against many
minute insects. such as the smallest
fea-beetles. leaf-hoppers. and plant
lice. or mature and active grasshoppers
Another method 10 jarring or beating
insects from low plants into large pans
Of water on which a thin hlm Of kero-
sene fs floating. The water prevents
the insects from escaping. and the
kerosene; being on the surface. kills the
insects with which 1t comes in contact
The largest milk pans are excellent for
this purpose, and a very handy beater
can quickly be made by cutting bough
about feet long from a pine tree or
other brush.
Nets Of cheap cloth. unbleached cot
Fton, or strong muslin. such as are used
by school children in the capture of
butterflies, are useful against some
forms Of insects affecting the garden,
among which is the tarnished plant
bug. which is most serious pest in
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other insects when they occur in large
numbers when the net can be used
without fnjuring the plants. Such a
net ID best employed by sweeping 1t
over the plants. as we'll as weeds and
grasses in the vicinity. in warm weather
sands Of them may be captured in a
short time and can be killed by empty
Ing the net into a dre or into hot water
Dtnerent methods of brushing insects
OF more or less sluggish habits, such as
plant lice or aphides, are very useful.
and one Of them is a standard remedy
against the pea aphis, the most impor-
tant drawback to the pea industry. It
consists In merely batting or brushing
the insects from the plants with pine
a hot, dry day. The plant lice are deli
cate creatures which crawl very slowly,
and few are able to regain access to the
plants and hence die from exposure to
LILO ucdtSU edFln.
Protection Of Plants.
Covering with cloth is an old rem
edy against the striped cucumber
beetle. when the cucumbers are quite
small. and for the protection of onions.
cabbage and other plants from root
maggots. A cheap covering may be
made by using a frame made by cut
ting barrel hoop into two pieces,
which are then placed at right angles
to each other. and the lower end is in
serted into the ground with the curve
uppermost. This Is covered with cloth
Of strong material and is held in place
with earth placed around the edges to
prevent the insects working under 1t.
The cloth should be rather fine for this
purpose. After the plants have attain
ed some growth tho covers may be re-
moved. and IL care is taken they may be
used another year.
Trapping by different methods is
practiced with some degree of success
For this purpose old boards, shingles
and chips are Of value, and If employed
at the proper time will help in the de-
struction Of many pests. It Is, Of
course, necessary to collect the insects
which gather under these traps every
day, and the traps should be replaced