Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-27
WHY SPRAY?
And IT'S ENVTRON.S

Protection against plant diseases
and insect enemies is essential to Sc
curing good, sound fruit from healthy
Z trees, and wholesome, clean produce
from our gardens. If spraying Is
timely and is effectively done with the
proper materials, it will afford such
protection. To this end, it is a wise
plan to know the life histories of the
common insects and diseases. There
are various bulletins on these subjects
issued from the State Experiment Sta
tons, while the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture issues such
farmers bulletins as Information
for fruit growers about insecticides,
spraying apparatus, and important in
sect pests" and Diseases and insects
of the vegetable garden" These bull
tins will indicate the right remedy,
IN the right way, and at the right
time.
Insects.-Most of the injurious in
scots secure their food by chewing
portions of plants, like the leaves, or
else by sucking the juices from the
tissues of the infested plants. The
chewing group includes Caterpillars,
worms, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets
"nd rthers. Such insects can be de-
81 ed when they feed on plant parts
(which have been covered with So
called stomach" poisons. Against in
SectS having sucking parts, such as
scale insects, plant lice, leaf-hoppers
and others, control is secured by the
use of so-called contact" sprays,
hi f.h
breathing pores of these pests.
Plant Diseases.-Plant diseases are
caused by parasitic fungi, by bacteria
and other vegetable para sites, or by
certain other forms of D ant disturb
anceS. Some of these diseases are
commonly known as csnkers, rots,
willis, blights, rusts, milGew, etc. AS
with diseases to which nan is heir,
'each type of plant Disease calls for
special treatment and, a., with modern
medical practice, these treatments are
at best more preventive han curative.
Fungus diseases attacking the plants
above ground are uSua, ly spread by
spores, which, lodging upe,- ~a.s plants,
terminate and infect these -ants.
coating the plant parts with a Sim
OF spray material prevents such in.
lection. Against diseases such as pear
blight, bean blight and tomato wilt,
measures like spraying will not be
effective. AS the result of modern
agricultural research, we now have
recourse to disease resistant strains
of some vegetables, while some prog
reSS has also been made with tSpss
Of pears which show Immunity to the
pear blight.
Control.-Detailed information on
spraying can be secured rom the
vi an,
tiCle. Control measures outside of
spray have much to commend them.
To carry out the simile with the med
ical science, one should follow the
methods of the Board of Health in
the practice of orchard and garden
sanitation. Much can be done in re-
moving and burning all infected parts.
such as leaves, from diseased fruit
trees and the above ground parts of
vegetable plants. Decayed and mumi-
fled fruits and diseased branches
should be destroyed by burning in the
trash pile. Many insects lay their
eggs on plant parts. especially on the
leaves, and the egg masses may be
crushed between the fingers. Many
kinds of insects hibernate in garden
refuse and among weeds, while still
others live in the ground over Winter.
The cleaning of the garden and it's
environs and the prompt blowing or
spading of the soil will expose these
insects to the rigors of Winter. Ample
fertilization and cultivation, especially
in the vegetable garden, and the an
nual pruning of fruit trees are good
practices. The insectivorous birds and
the common toad are worth our pro-
lection in return for their share in
the control of insect pests.
For those. however, who plant to
spray, it would be borne in mind, that,
TO be G ffeCtive, spraying must be
timely and must he made with the
right materials and must be applied in
the right manner.