Evening star., 1933-09-02
Dutch Elm Disease.
American elm, one Of the
most beautiful shade trees In
Northeastern United States, Is
i now threatened by a destructive

most beautiful shade trees In
Northeastern United States, Is
i now threatened by a destructive
fungus trouble recently brought
into the country from abroad. A re-
cent survey in Europe by an American
plant pathologist revealed the possible
ity that the new elm disease could be-
come almost as destructive to this
species as was the chestnut blight to
the chestnut. In certain areas Of Hol-
land the elm was found to be prac-
tically exterminated. First reported IN
Holland In 1919, the disease has spread
practically all over Europe.
In this country the elm disease was
first discovered in Ohio, but this year
appeared also in the vicinity OF New
York City. A total Of 276 infested
trees were found and destroyed in this
new area up to the middle of August.
Any one who has driven through New
Hampshire avenue on a hot Summer
day can appreciate the beauty and use
fulness Of the American elm and realize
that any measure that can be taken to
win the fight against Dutch elm dis
ease deserves full support. The hope
rests in its carly eradication from the
American continent. and not In sprays
or dusts.
A Peach Pest.
FARMERS BULLETIN 1916. "The
L Peach Borer," tells Of the life his
tory Of this serious pest and out
lines a practical control which in this
region may best be applied in the last
10 days of September. Many home
owner has raised a peach tree to fruit
ing only to have it weaken and die.
The chances are strongly in favor OF
the peach borer being the cause OF the
trees death. Quoting from the bulletin:
The peach borer, the larva Of a beau
tiful clear winged moth. has for more
than a century and half been one OF
the principal obstacles to the success
full culture Of the peach" Working in
the inner bark Of the base OF the tree,
the borer is not easily detected unless
one digs away the soil near the crown.
A gumry exudate mixed with sawoust-
like material then may be seen and dig
ging into the bark will reveal the tun-
nels. Too often the first indication Of
the borer's presence is in yellow foliage
and weakened growth.
The old-fashioned method OF con-
troll was to dig out the borers. but very
often the remedy was too severe for
the tree. The present method of con-
troll worked out some years ago by the
Department of Agriculture consists in
spreading ring of volatile poison
known as OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES about
the base Of the tree and covering this
with a mound of soil The escaping
gas enters the burrows in the tree and
extermirates the insects while they are
yet small and have done no serious
80 oI
tree varies with its age For mature
trees an ounce is needed. for trees l
to 3 years. one-half ounce The ring
Of CRYSTALS should not contact the bark
but should be between an inch and an
inch and half distant.
Because Of its effectiveness and
simple application commercial peach
growers would not think of emitting
the borer treatment once year. There
is no reason why home gardeners
should permit their peach trees to
perish from this pernicious pest Para
dicnlorcbenzene is the same substance
used in combating clothes moths. and
may be procured in small quantities
from various drug stores, garden sup
ply houses, etc.
Scarlet Sage.
nR. L. H. BAILEY, in his Cyclopedia
- of Horticulture, states that saliva.
or garden sage. derived It's name
from the Latin word for health. because
of the medicinal properties of certain
species. There are upward of 500
species in the genus, widely distributed
over both hemispheres Flower color
in the genus varies from the we'll
known scarlet Of the garden sage
through purple to azure blue and even
whites.
The common garden SALIVA, desig-
mated botanically as saliva splendens
is a native Of Brazil, is a popular and
widely used Towering plant despite the
fact that some garden writers deplore
its general use. The plants are slow
to attain towering size so that 1t Is
necessary to SOW the seed early In
boxes or pots or to purchase plants
from the florist. Culture is relatively
simple. the plant being remarkably
free from diseases or insects and re-
quiring only a moderate amount Of fer
tilizer Saliva makes the best display
when planted in groups with a back
ground of shrubbery The blooms are
of little value for cutting because the
individual f1orets drop so quickly. but
en- mass in the open the flowers make a
brilliant showing.
Lining Soil.
4 THOUGH lime is plant food, its
n need in this respect Is very limit
ed and easily met by the natural
content of calcium IN the soil. The