Evening star., 1934-01-24
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Another reason for February pruning
| Is to be able to give what Is left Of the
bush dormant spray.
The only right time for q dormant
| spray, of course, is when the plant Is
| dormant.
There is q firm belief among rose
growers that the application OF bor-
oeau or some other proper spray at this
time OF year will do q great deal to re-
lieve the future growth of black spot"
| and other dread rose diseases.
If this is correct, the amateur grower
we'll may take advantage of the theory
and its application, for he knows bet
ter than any one else how much help
he needs to grow good roses.
| February Is the correct time, too, to
spray lilac bushes for scale.
| The tiny scale insects will not be
visible then, but they will be later, If
some good miscible oil is not used, if
needed. Not every owners bushes will
have them. Many home growers keep
lilacs for years without their bushes
being afflicted. Perhaps, too, some
growers do not recognize these pests.
In middle March they show up as
white. almost cottony. growths, on the
stems between the swelling leaf buds.
They do not look In the least like in
sects, and would scarcely be recognized
as such by most persons.
| 4
A watch may be kept during the next
month for the cocoons of various pests
which are inimical to trees and shrubs
Perhaps It might be good thing, in
| general principles, to destroy all such
curious productions Of nature as soon
as found, especially If on trees.
There Is one cocoon. however which
deserves to be left.
It Is that of the praying mantis,
the large grasshopperlike insect which
preys on the inimical and smaller gar
den insects.
There Is a good photograph Of this
cocoon in the current issue Of Flower
Grower Magazine. 1t is a curious crea-
| tion, OF darkish brown color, usually
found suspended quite high in some
shrub.
These may well be left alone, as the
hatch from them in time will more
than pay for their keep in the home
garden. where they will destroy count
less harmful insects, as well as add a
touch Of novelty to the precincts.
| Some persons have gone out Of their
way to brand the praying mantis as
'treacherous." because his ability as a
catcher Of other insects is at varience
With his seeming prayerful attitude.
caused by the construction Of his long
forelegs, folded back on each other.
This seems rather absurd. because
! the creature did not make itself. nor
does 1t have any comprehension Of the
human attitude of prayer, nor OF the
! contrast between this and catching
prey.
! Those who have not seen the mantis
may still have many of them in their
gardens 1t is very well camouflaged,
as it likes to remain mostly in shrubs,
with their twigs and green leaves.
among which its coloration tends to
hide it.
! From its own standpoint this insect
is unfortunate in not being better
known. for often the first instinct of
the gardener Is to kill it, 1t is so large.
so rather awe-inspiring, with its great
legs and generally huge size for an in
sect.
II one sees the biggest grasshopper,
then. one ever saw. one may feel pretty
sure that it is a praying mantis, and,
as such. well worth leaving alone. be-
ing harmless to all but those plenteoHs
smaller insects which work such havoc
| In home gardens.