Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-20
Start The Fight Early
And Begin 1t Right

DeSlH the USHL' early WHlIe' the enc
my Is weak, and destroy the breeding
places as far as possible by burning
| trash and old stalks. Practice rota-
ton and fall blowing. but even then
there will be insects waiting to devour
the young plants as soon as they APP
pear above the ground. Insects mul-
tiply rapidly, SO that the destruction
of one this week may save you the
work Of killing a hundred or more if
! you wait 10 days to begin.
Remember that insects which feed
| on plants are Of two general classes
| biting or chewing forms, which eat
forms, which injure the plant by suck
ing the vital sep from it. For the eat
ing insect, lead arsenate or paris green
in solution are used as a poison
sprayed on the plant. The bugs eat
| the poisoned leaves and die. But you
! cannot reacn the sucking insects in
! this manner, since the juice of the
plant is not poisoned. For this form
| of insect a contact poison is necessary,
| and the two best known contact poi
| sons are kerosene emulsion and nico-
| tine sulphate. These must be sprayed
on so as to actually touch the body of
the insect you are trying to kill.
Lead arsenate has some advantage
| over paris green as a poison for potato
| bugs, cabbage worms, cucumber
beetles, and other insects that eat the
leaves and stems. When sprayed on
the plant it leaves a whitish coating
SO that one can readily tell the plants
! that have been sprayed. Also it will
not so readily injure the tenderest
/ plants, whereas paris green will in
| jure tender plants if put on too strong.
There will be very little damage from
| this source, however, if directions are
| followed.
! Two pounds of dry arsenate of lead
| to fifty gallons of water will make
a solution strong enough to destroy
! the pests. In making up a smaller
quantity 10 teaspoonfuls TO gallon of
| water will be about the right proper
| ton. Paris green solution will re-
! quire only one pound of the poison to
hundred gallons of water, and in
some instances, twice that amount OF
water may be used with good results.
smaller amounts. If enough lime is
added to give the solution milky
color it will be of advantage.
There is some difficulty in getting
the poison solution to stick to certain
smooth-leaved plants. as the cabbage,
it being inclined to roll up in beads
and drop off or adhere to the rough
edges Of the leaves. AS a "sticker"
use fish-oil soap or other soft or dis
solved SOAP in the same quantity as
the arsenate. and the solution will
leave a whit sh coating on every part
of the leaf Wien properly applied with
sprayer of some kind.
To make kerosene emulsion, the
most popular spray for plant lice and
other insects that suck the Juices. use
a gallon of kerosene, uuarter-pound
! of laundry soap and half a gallon of
water. Shave up the soap in the
boiling water takes away from the
fire. and add the kerosene. Churn
rapidly for 10 minutes by pumping
back and forth from one vessel to an
other with spray pump. or other
wise agitating It, until it becomes
thick cream. This is the stock solu-
tion and will keep as long as needed.
When ready TO use 1t. dilute with ff-
Teen tII1lcS It's DUN foI AdttIs Apply
with fine mistlike spray that touches
every part of the leaf or stalk where
the insects are to he found. The con-
tact of the SPRAY kills the pests. If ap-
piled too heavily 1t may possibly in
jure very tender plants, but this is
not likely to occur when sprayed uni
formly in the fine spray recommended.
Nicotine sulphate is even better
than kerosene emulsion, for it never
Injuries the tenderest plant, and is very
effective against such pests as the
squash bug. For a small garden use a
teaspoonful of nicotine sulphate to a
Gallon of water In which has been
dissolved a cubic inch of hard laun-
dry soap. In larger quantities use an
ounce to eight gallons of water and
half a pound of soap. 1t may be
made stronger without any bad re-
suits to the plants.
There will not only besfewer insects
while the plants are small, but also
he small plants may be much more
easily reached than after the foliage
becomes SO thick. Two sprayings will
usually suffice to rid potatoes of that
common pest. the Colorado potato
beetle. Insects will more readily injure
weak and spindling plant, so 1t will
growing thriftily.
Some home gardeners hesitate to
use poison on edible leaves, as cab
bage or celery, but there is absolutely.
no danger of becoming poisoned from
eating sprayed vegetables. In the first
place. rains soon wash the poison off.
and besides, there is not enough poi
son on a head of cabbage to produce
any i'll effects if one person ate the
entire head.
One OF the most troublesome and
difficult pests is the cutworm. To make
poison bait, use a peck of bran. four
ounces Of paris green or white arsenic,
nd mix with two gallons of water in
hich has been dissolved a half
lion of sorghum or any cheap mo-
sses. Leave Jumps of this about the
~se of the plants late in the day. and
,e. worms will get it at night when
hey come out to do their damage.
are. should Be taken to collect or COW
r the poison in the daytime If it is
where fowls may get it.
1t is very good plan, to use Dor
deaux mixture with insect poison as il
. acts as a deterrent to many forms O..
insect life, and also Is of benefit to TIL
plant in arresting fungus diseases. 1t
, is made by. dissolving four ounces of
bluestone "copper" sulphate) in ~
quarts of water. then add four ounces
of lime that has been slaled in a part
of the water. 1t is best to strain thi~
mixture before using 1t as a spray
Mix in an earthen or wooden vessel
To a gallon Of the bordeaux add an
ounce of resin fish-oil soap to make 1t
stick to the foliage. In making IL in
connection with arsenical poison. Just
dissolve the arSAnate In hordeallx mix