Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-05-13

thereby prevent tneM from
growing vigorously, If at all Some
times the idea is gained that liberal
fertilizing and culture will offset the
injury from foliage disease. Obviously
this notion is mostly fallacious be-
cause it is in the leaves that most of
the plants food is manufactured.
Fertilizers applied to the soil pro-
vide certain elements which in turn
combine with those made In the
leaves. One or the other alone can
not make healthy blooming roses.
Two troubles of roses are outstand-
ing, namely, black spot and mildew.
The latter Is much the less i'm
portant because of the fact that many
varieties Of both climbers and bush
roses are entirely resistant. No rose
is entirely resistant to black spot. In
fact, in the bush rose, no variety, not
even the splendid Radiance, red and
pink, is safe. 1t Is true that certain
varieties are more apt to thrive de-
spite black spot and this is one reason
why the two Radiances are so popu-
lar locally and over much of Eastern
United States.
For control of black spot perhaps
It is well to cite the methods of one
successful Takoma Park home gard
ener. In late Winter, after the mi
tial pruning, the remaining stems
are thoroughly sprayed with lime
sulphur, Winter strength After the
foliage appears, this gardener regu-
1arly sprays with a solution of wet
table sulphur. known under a par
ticular brand name. Last year, in
a bad black spot year this gardener
succeeded in holding his rose foliage
and with it repeated crops of bloom
throughout the long growing season.
BY spraying heavily just after each
flush Of bloom, the discoloration to
foliage may be largely avoided.
Black spot appears first on the
lower and older leaves and, If un-
checked, moves up the canes, gradu-
ally defoliating the entire plant The
name. black spot, is well chosen, as
the onset of the disease is character
lied by irregular black spots which
first appear as small areas but grad
ually spread until the entire leaf is
encompassed Shortly the affected
leaf drops to the soil to serve as
source Of this infection.
Those rose growers deeply inter-
ested should procure copies of Far
mers' Bulletin No. 1547, Rose Dis
eases, Their Cause and Control, pre-
pared by Alma M. Waterman.
Scale Insects.
n EANY of our garden trees and
.lNl shrubs, including plum, pear,
Towering cherries, japanese
ounce and cotoneaster, are often seri-
ously attacked by insects which, be-
cause of their habit of covering them
selves with a heavy waxy scale, are
designated as scale insects. Because
Of this covering, they constitute just
about as tough problem in control as
besets the gardener. Most any sub
stance that is powerful enough to
loosen the scale is also harmful to the
tree or plant. Furthermore, these in
sects multiply so freely that in a year
or two they may kill the plant So
plentifully do they exist that at times
the entire surface of the branch Is COW
cred with solid coating of scale. Per-
44dEo OAiC "OASI oESS4So Va Oil 40 Vic 81
called San Jose scale, found on hun
dred or so different kinds of fruit and
ornamental plants. Another scale,
known as the oyster shell from its
shape is often found locally on fruits
and shrubs. There are several other
species but, since the treatment for all
is much the same, there is no use in
discussing each separately. Winter Is
the ideal time to fight scales on plants
that drop their leaves in Autumn.
Evergreens must, Of course, be sprayed
while in leaf.
For Winter spraying. Of deciduous
plants, there are two classes Of mate
rails, lime sulphur and miscible oils.
For Summer spraying, the same mate
rails greatly diluted with water are
often used with success. Any gardener
who finds scales on his plants should
write the Department of Agriculture or
the Agricultural Experiment Station at
College Park, Md, or BlackSburg, Va,
for information as to materials and
methods. The manifestations of severe
injury are stunted growth, dropping OF
leaves and in extremity dying OF young
branches.
Poison Ivy
Usually about this time Of year
the elimination contest between
the home gardener and poison
ivy begins. Growing from under
ground rootstocks, the ivy spreads very
rapidly, especially along fence rows
where it is difficult to uproot it. In
fact, many people are so sensitive to
ivy poisoning that it is unwise to at
tempt to cut or destroy this noxlous
plant with tools
Fortunately, considerable work has
been done on the destruction OF
poison ivy by chemicals sprayed OF
busted on the foliage. Some years
ago. the Massachusetts, Experiment
Station reported that 212 per cent
solutions of either arsenate or ar.
semitic of soda would kill poison ivy
An early Farmers Bulletin, No. 1166
stated that ivy is readily killed by
q 37la per cent solution OF common
salt. Kerosene and waste oils from
garages have also been used to ad'
vantage. The trouble with these ma.
terials is that they not only kill
the ivy but render the soil unfit tt
grow garden plants for greater OF
less periods. The New Hampshire
Experiment Station, in recent paper
December, 1892, proposes the use Of
kainite, a potash fertilizer. for the
control of poison ivy. This materia
contains potassium chloride, magnes'
ium sulphate, common salt and Ger.
tain minor ingredients. Applied wher
finely ground to the dew-moistenec
leaves of ivy, a fairly satisfactory xii
was secured, especially when followed
by one or two supplemental treat
ments. The amount applied at each
application was approximately one
tenth of a pound per square foot.
The principal advantage of kahn
lite over other materials mentioned
lies in its relative harmlessness. 1
is non-toxic in the soil and, in 6
few weeks, grass or other desirable
plants may be sown without suffer
ing harm. Kainite, being a fertilizer
should be procurable from garden
supply stores but will require crush
ing before application.