A New or Improved Fumigant for the Destruction of the Parasitic Insects which Infest Plants.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1890-Accepted, 2nd Aug., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Fumigant for the Destruction of the Parasitic
Insects which Infest Plants.
We, JOHN WESLEY GARDNER, of Nelson Street, Bristol, Merchant, and THOMAS
SMITHSON, of 51, Redland Road, Bristol, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the preparation and manufacture of a compound to be used
as a fumigant for the destruction of parasitic insects which infest plants, such as
green fly, thrip, red-spider, and others; and yet when used shall be innocuous to the
most delicate plants.
In nearly all fumigants at present used by gardeners and nurserymen, such as
tobacco papers, either natural or manufactured, the materials employed are of a dirty
and offensive nature, and are not uniform or homogeneous in their composition, they
are therefore disagreeable in use and uncertain in their results; the object of this
invention is to provide a fumigant which may be handled and used without soiling
the fingers or injuring the plants; and as the ingredients are thoroughly mixed
during the process of manufacture, gardeners will know exactly how much to use
for fumigating a greenhouse of any specified size.
To carry our invention into effect, we make turf or peat mixed with nicotine, the
basis of our composition, adding thereto small quantities of ground capsicum, flour,
salt-petre, and oil; the nicotine may be either in the form of tobacco juice or tobacco
waste; the quantity of turf being varied according to whether juice or waste is
employed; we find the following to be a suitable and effective combination of the
various ingredients :-Nicotine, either juice or waste, 75 parts; turf or peat, 100 parts
if juice is used, or 50 parts if waste is used; ground capsicum, 1 part; refined oil,
10 parts; flour, 16 parts; and salt-petre 6 parts; the turf and waste (when used) is
ground in a mill and sifted to the required degree of fineness, the other ingredients are
then mixed therewith, water being added when necessary to form the whole into a
stiff paste; it is then cut or moulded into shapes of any convenient and suitable size,
and baked in a slow oven until dry and firm, when it will be ready for use.
When it is required to use the composition, a quantity proportionate to the space to
be fumigated is placed on a plate or saucer, and kindled either by lighting one edge
with a match or by placing hot cinders on it, when it will burn slowly and without
any flame until the whole is consumed; if a proper quantity has been used, all the
parasites will be destroyed while the plants or flowers remain uninjured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The process of incorporating nicotine, either in the form of tobacco juice or
tobacco waste, and other substances with turf or peat for the purpose of destroying
parasitic insects in plants, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The manufacture of fumigating material for the destruction of parasitic insects
in plants, substantially as hereinbefore set forth and described.
Dated this 30th day of June 1890.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicants' Agent.