GARDEN .«HS»£sn»'»Ji.^^ ®l|0 f , ^. ^m ^tkary ^ortI{ Carolina ^tate College ?>5 'III III Hi III mill nil nil II II III S00015582 II II iL^ate iJu^ M_Z3-4m SB601 S3 1G68S Garden fo^s. DATE ISSUED TO l?h\'i Jir^/ytl U V m GARDEN FOES. Insect, Animal and Fungoid Pests Injurious to Fruit and Vegetable Crops, Hardy Plants, Trees, Shrubs and Greenhouse Plants, with all the Latest Remedies for their Eradication, Etc. BY T. W. SANDERS, F.L.S., F.R.H.S., Kaight of the First Class of the Royal Order of Wasa, Sweden. {Editor of "Amateur Gardening" and "Farm and Garden"; also Author of " An Encyclopsedia of Gardening," " Vegetables and their Cultivation," "The Flower Garden," "Alphabet of Gardening," "Roses and their Cultivation," "Bulbs and their Cultivation," Etc.) ILLUSTRATED. LONDON : W. H. & L. COLLINGRIDGE, 148 & 149, Aldersgate Street. E.G. I-ONDON : PRINTED BY W. H. AND L. COI.LINGRIDGE, 148 AND 149, At-DERSGATE STREET, E.G. ^^^^^^ FOREWORDS. Ever since the traditional fall of man successive genera- tions of those whose business it is to till the soil for pleasure or profit have had to contend with hordes of insect, animal, or fungoid pests, ever on the alert to levy toll on his crops, destroy them with innumerable diseases, or inflict such injury upon them as to lessen their value as food or their usefulness generally to mankind. It has ever been so, and will, no doubt, continue to be so for all time. It is true in these modern times science has come to the assistance of the farmer and gardener, and educated both in more successful ways and means of coping with pests and diseases affecting our crops; and, contsequently, we are in a much better position to prevent or cure the injuries arising, or likely to arise, therefrom than our fore- fathers were able to do. We know more of the life his- tories of insect and animal pests ; also of the various fungi and bacteria that are productive of diseases, and it is therefore possible nowadays to adopt preventive measures to a large degree that will render our crops, our plants and our trees less liable to, if not wholly free from, attack and injury. Take the case of our fruit crops, for example. Modern science has clearly demonstrated that, by the judicious spraying of the trees during the winter we may kill ',0 B 2 4 FOREWORDS, the iiiillioJis of insect ova and larvae, and the i:)letliora of mycelium of microscopic fungi infesting the shoots, branches, and trunks, and only patiently awaiting the advent of spring to develop their aggressive activities and inflict serious injury upon the foliage, shoots, blossoms, or fruit. It therefore behoves every fruit grower to adopt i3reventive measures, and so 'save his future crops and secure the health of his trees. It is useless waiting till insects or disease appear in summer. By that time both will have inflicted more or less injury which cannot be cured. Science, too, has placed at our disposal much more eilicient insecticides and fungicides than we had a few yeai-s ago. Those now available, and described elsewhere in this volume, if used intelligently and at the proper seasons, will enable the gardener effectually to banish pests and diseases, and maintain his crops and his plants in a healthy condition, thus yielding him better results and greater pleasure than heretofore. To the amateur gardener, more especiallj^ the subject of pests and diseases affecting indoor and outdoor crops is naturally an object of great concern. Too frequently want of knowledge of the innumerable enemies, the proper remedies to apply, and the right time to use them, is a serious stumbling block to his success in the manage- ment of the garden or greenhouse. Of this fact we have convincing proof in the thousands of enquiries that reach us in our capacity of Editor of "Amateur Gardening." We have therefore come to the conclusion that it would be of great assistance to amateur gardeners and others if we prepared a volume giving a descriptive account of the various pests and diseases affecting indoor and outdoor crops, and the most up-to-date remedies for their preven- tion or eradication. The latter idea has developed into the present volume. Therein we have endeavoured, as far as possible, to deal with every phase of the subject of the enemies of crops. Thus in the first part we have supplied the most reliable FOREWORDS. 5 modern formulae for making insecticides and fungicides ; the best apparatus for applying the latter; and clear instructions how to perform such important operations as spraying, fumigating, and cyaniding. In succeeding parts the pests and diseases of fruit crops, vegetable crops, hardy plants, etc., in the flower garden, greenhouse plants, and hardy trees and shrubs. In the final part such enemies of the garden as cats, inoles, mice, rats, rabbits, and hares have had attention; al»30 the subjects of lawn and path weeds. Nor have we overlooked the importance of pointing out the few friendly insects and animals which it is most desirable the gardener should learn to distinguish from the foes previously described. Thus, we trust, the information we have given will enable every owner of a garden, greenhouse, or orchard to recognise the various pests and diseases that attack his crops, and to deal with them in an effectual manner, thereby preventing or arresting injur^^ and adding greater pleasures and joy to the task of managing them. Finally, we have to acknowledge our indebtedness for information on many points to the numerous leaflets issued by the Board of Agi'iculture and Fisheries; Tubeuf and Smith's "Diseases of Plants"; Cooke's "Fungoid Diseases of Cultivated Plants " ; Massee's " Diseases of Cultivated Plants and Trees "; Theobald's " Insect Pests of Fruit " ; and Curtis's " Farm Insects." London, 1910. T. W. Sanders. FREE ON APPLICATION. A COMPLETE CATALOGUE OF BOOKS ON THE GARDEN, THE GREENHOUSE, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, LIVE STOCK, FARMING, MARKET GARDENING. SMALL HOLDINGS, Etc., Etc. " Farm and Garden " Office, 148 & 149. Aldersgate Street, London. E.G. CONTENTS. Part I.— REMEDIES, ETC. Chap. I. Garden Pests ... ... II. Insecticides and Fungicides III. Insecticide P'ormul.e IV. Fungicide Formul.« V. Proprietary Insecticides and Fungicides VI. Spraying Apparatus VII. Powder Distributors VIII. How and When to Spray IX. Fumigating X. Cyaniding page 9 11 15 24 s, Etc. 29 35 40 41 44 48 Part II.— FRUIT FOES. Chap. I. Apple Pests and Diseases II. Cherry Pests and Diseases III. Currant and Gooseberry Pests and Diseases IV. F'lo Pests and Diseases V. Nut Pests and Diseases VI. Peach and Nectarine Pests VII. Pear Pests and Diseases VIII. Plum Pests and Diseases IX. Raspberry and Strawberry Pests and Diseases X. Tomato Pests and Diseases XI. Vine Pests and Diseases and Diseases 54 88 93 109 110 113 116 123 128 136 143 8 CONTENTS. Part III.— VEGETABLE FOES. PAGE Chap. I. Insect and other Pests Attacking Vegetable Crops ... ... ... ... ... 155 ,, II. Diseases of Vegetable Crops 184 ,, III. Potato Pests and Diseases 200 J>art IV.— flower garden FOES. CI lap. I. Insects Attacking Plants . II. Diseases Attacking Plants III. Rose Pests and Diseases . 210 232 Part V.— GREENHOUSE FOES. CI lap. I. Insects, Mites, Etc II. Diseases Attacking Greenhouse Plants 249 267 Part VL- FOREST TREE FOES. Chap, I. Insects Injurious to Forest Trees ,, II. Diseases Infecting Forest Trees 274 289 PART VII.— ODDS AND ENDS. Chap. I. Miscellaneous Pests ... 291 IL Weeds on Paths ... 299 III. Lawn Weeds ... 303 IV. A Few Friends ... SOS V. Board of Agriculture Orders ... 314 Garden Foes. Part I.-REMEDIES, ETC. CHAPTER I. GARDEN PESTS. These are divided into three distinct groupis — ■liisect, animal, and fungoid, and we will give a brief explanation of each to enable the inexperienced to differentiate be- tween the three. Insect Pests.— These include mothis, butterflies, beetles., weevils, and flies, and their larva? (caterpillars, grubs, or maggots). All insects go through four distinct stages of existence : First, they exist in the form of eggs ; then change into larva) (grubs or caterpillars) ; then into pupas; and, finally, into the imago, or perfect state. In the egg and pupal stages they do no harm to crops ; in the larval stage they are most destructive ; and in the perfect state some do harm and others not. The particular harm done by each pest is specified in the remarks referring thereto further on. 10 GARDEN FOES. Animal Pests._The«6 include millepedes, worrrns, slugs, snails, birds, cats, dogs, eelworms, hares, rabbits, and every other living creature which is developed from an egg or born alive, but which does not go through the four stages of development described in the preceding paragraph. Mites, again, do not belong to the insect tribe, but are included, in the present category. Fung^oid Pests. — These are composed of minute or larger fungi which develop from spores or mycelium, and live on or in the tissues of living or dead vegetation. Fungi are of two types — parasitic, living on living tissue, as mildew; or saprophytes, living on dead tissues. There is a third class, called slime fungi, of which the Finger and Toe disease is an example ; but mycologists are doubtful about these being true fungi. Then again, there are bac- teria, minute organisms which produce disease somewhat similar to that caused by true fungi. Blig^hts. — Many gardeners and country folk use the term " blight " as signifying any disease or insect infesta- tion of their crops. This, however, is- .a loose and vague term. The so-called " blight " is really the injured state of the growth crippled by frost, by cold winds, or by insect and fungoid pests. When " blight " is spoken of the true cause must be sought for in one of the murierous pests hereafter described. A Word of Caution. — Whenever anything is de- tected amiss with a plant or crop, take the earliest oppor- tunity to find out the cause, and apply the remedy at once. Delay is dangerout.<. In a few hours or a few days the pest will seriously cripple the growth, and no remedy in the world can then repair the damage done. You may, it is true, get rid of the cause, but you cannot easily cure the after-effects. Growths badly infested with fungoid or insect pests should be promptly removed and speedily burnt. Never throw diseased roots, leaves, or INSECTICIDES AND FUNGICIDES 11 shoots on the ground, otherwise the fungus will fructify and produce spores or mycelium that will later on attack the next crop. If everyone would make a point of burning every scrap of diseased plant directly it is seen, many diseases would be soon stamped out. The day will come, let us hope, when it will be a penal offence to allow diseased plants, etc., to continue to grow and spread further destruction. No matter how valuable a plant may be, it is unwise to try to save it if badly diseased. Eemember, each solitary insect is capable of propagating its species largely, and each individual patch of fungi to develop millions of spores to be carried by the agency of birds, insects, wind, etc., to other and healthy crops. Sureh', but swiftly, all pests should be destroyed at the earliest moment, and then the gardener will meet with less worry, and his crops enjoy greater freedom from pests and disease. CHAPTER II. INSECTICIDES AND FUNGICIDES. PRINCIPAL INGREDIENTS. Below we give a brief description of the principal mate- rialis for making insecticides and fungicides. Hydrocyanic Gas. — This is produced by mixing either potassium cyanide (98 per cent.) or sodium cyanide (130 per cent.) with sulphuric acid and water. The result- ing gas is a deadly poison, and will cause death if inhaled. See chapter on " Cvaniding." Caution: The cvanide must B 2 12 GARDEN FOES. not come in contact with the acid while human beings are present. (See Chapter X., Part I.) Carbon Disulphide— A combination of sulphur and carbonic acid. It is highly volatile and poisonous. Must. not be used near a naked light, cigarette, cigar, or pipe. Gives off fumes destructive to insect life when buried in the soil. Caustic Soda. — A form of soda possessing caustic properties. The best form of it to use for insecticides is commercial caustic soda (98 per cent, purity). It readily dissolves in cold water, and also absorbs moisture, and becomes soft or liquid when exposed to the air. Requires to be kept in tightl}- closed iron cans. Will burn flesh if permitted to touch it. Should be handled only with pro- tected handis. That sold in powdered forms in tins is best. Potassium Carbonate (Carbonate of Potash).— A form of j^otash used for making insecticides for winter use. Commercial potassium carbonate (80 per cent.) is the best form to use. Pearl ash and salts of tartar are other names used for it. The form and strength mentioned is, however, the one to procure and use. It is dearer than caustic soda. Quassia. — This consists of chips of yellow wood ob- tained from the trunks of a West Indian tree, named Picrena excelsa. When infused in water it produces a bitter fluid. The bitter extract may be obtained by infus- ing the chips in cold water for twenty-four hours or boiling in water for two hours. Extract of quassia and quassine are concentrated preparations of it. Used in conjunction with soft soap. Soft Soap.— This is a preparation of soap obtained by chemically treating oil with potash. The best strength to INSECTICIDES AND FUNGICIDES, 13 lise for insecticides is that which contains 8 per cent, potash. Soft soap dissolves more quickly in hot than cold water. Pyrethrum Powder. _ A product obtained by grinding the buds or the flowers of a species of pyrethrum to a fine powder. Used largely for making insect powders. Hellebore Powder. — A substance prepared by grinding the roots of the False White Hellebore (Veratrum album) to a fine powder. It is poisonous, and must not be inhaled. To avoid injury to the operator it is best mixed with water before using. Paris Green. — This is known as an ai-senical insecti- cide (aceto-areenite of copper). The best form of it to use is Blundell's Paris Green, a preparation sold in powder and paste form. The latter is the safest to use, as the powder, if inhaled, is highly poisonous. Requires to be applied in a very fine, mist-like spray. A splendid insec- ticide for fruit trees. Not soluble in water; can only be mixed with it. Arsenate of Lead. — A combination of acetate of lead (98 per cent.) and arsenate of soda (98 per cent.). The two require to be dissolved in water, as advised fur- ther on. Kerosene. — An American oil; also known as paraffin and petroleum oil. Used in conjunction with soft soap and boiling water to form an emulsion. Requires whilst boiling hot to be beaten into a creamy-white fluid. May be stored in corked tins or jars for years. Nicotine An extract of tobacco used for making various fumigating compounds. A deadly poison. Tobacco juice, made by steeping tobacco in boiling water, lb a less concentrated form of it. 14 GARDEN FOES. Carbolic Acid. — A dark, oily liquid; is sometimes used as an insecticide; but, being a dangerous poison and uncertain in strength, is best .avoided. Formalin, Lysol, and Phenol are forms of this acid. Carbolic soap is some- times used in solution with water as an insecticide. Potassium Sulphide (Liver of Sulphur).— An evil- smelling chemical, much recommended as a remedy for mildew and other minute fungi. It rapidly decomposes when exposed to the air, so should be kept in tightly- corked bottles. Discolours white paint. Copper Sulphate (Sulphate of Copperas).— A chemi- cal sold in hard blue crystals; a corrosive, irritant poison. The proper strength to use is 98 per cent. Must not be dissolved in metal vessels, only in wooden ones. Iron Sulphate (Sulphate of Iron).— A chemical sold in pale green crystals. Used in conjunction with sulphuric acid and water. Must be mixed in wooden vessels only. Is apt to destroy clothing, and is otherwise an objection- able fungicide to use. Sulphur. — The form in which this is used as a fungi- cide is " flowers of sulphur." It is composed of sulphur precipitated into a fine powder, and i>s non-poisonous unless heated over a fire. It may be used alone or in com- bination with lime and salt. As a remedy for mildew it is excellent. INSECTICIDE FORMULAE. 15 CHAPTEE III. INSECTICIDE FORMULi«. Below we give the chief formulae for washes for winter, spring and summer spraying, as recommended by leaxiing experts. WINTER WASHES. These are to be used whilst growth is dormant only, and for the purposes specified in connection with each. 1. Caustic Alkali Wash — There are several ways of preparing this solution, and the grower can choose the one for which he can obtain the ingredients most easily. (a) Caustic soda (98 per cent, purity) lib. Caustic potash (80 per cent, purity) ... lib. Agricultural treacle fib. Water to make up to 10 gal. Dissolve the potash and soda separately in two wooden buckets with a little water. Solution of these two chemi- cals usually takes place with considerable violence and the production of great heat, but if it is slow in starting the addition of a very little hot w^ater will have the desired effect. Mix the two solutions together, and stir in the treacle, and make up to 10 gallons for use. If a stock solution is to be kept to do a few odd trees at different times, make up to only one gallon, and put in a bottle fitted with an indiarubber cork. One part of this solution will require nine parts of water to bring it to the correct spraying strength. (b) Caustic soda (98 per cent.) lib. Carbonate of potash (80 per cent.) lib. Soft soap |lb. Water to make 10 gal. 16 GARDEN FOES. Dissolve the soft isoap in fc;onie of the water, and add to the soda and potash when dissolved. Uses. — Cleansing trees from moss and lichen, and kill- ing Scale and other insect ova. Time to Apply. — November to IMareh. 2. Woburn Winter Wash — A wash recommended by Mr. Spencer U. Pickering, F.E.S. (Director of the Woburn Experimental Fruit Farm) : Soft Soap hlh. P.ai'afifin (Solar di'stilFate) 5 pts. Caustic soda 2 to 2ilb. Water 91 gal. Dissolve the soap in hot or cold water (hot preferably), then add the paraffin and thoroughly mix, after which gradually add the soda. Stir continually during use. UsEr*. — Same as No. 1. Time to Apply. — November to March. 3. Another Woburn Formula. — Mr. Spencer U. Pickering discovered that by adding copper sulphate to above formula the wash required less constant stirring, while it also acted as a fungicide: Copper sulphate IJlb. Quicklime |^ to | lb. Paraffin (Solar distillatt') 5 pts. Water 9^ gal. Caustic swla 2 to 2^ lb. Prepare as advised in formula No. 2, adding the soda gradually last of all. Uses. — Precisely as advised for No. 1. Time to Apply. — November to March. 4. A Cheaper Formula. — The same authority re- commends the following formula as being cheaper and quite as effectual, but possessing no fungicidal properties: INSECTICIDE FORMUL/E. 17 Iron sulphate ^ lb. Quicklime Jib. Paraffin (Solar distillate) 5 pts. Water 9 J gal. Caustic soda 2 to 2^ lb. Dissolve the iron sulphate in water, slake the lime in a little water, then add more water and strain the solution through a fine sieve into the iron solution. Add the paraffin, and churn thoroughly, finally adding the soda. Uses. — For cleansing trees of mess and lichen, Mussel Scale, insect ova, etc. Time to Apply. — November to March. 5. Lime - Sulphur - Soda Wash— This is an excel- lent winter wash, much used in the United States, and known as the Oregon Wash : ■ . Lime ... 31b. Sulphur 31b. Salt 31b. Caustic soda lib. Water lOgal. Mix the lime and soda together, and slake with hot water in which the sulphur has previously been incor porated. Stir well, and add the salt; then the mixture will generate heat and boil for some time. When this ceases add water to make ten gallons. Uses. — A remedy for the Pear Bhster Mite, Mussel and Oyster Scale ova. Time to Apply. — November to March. 6. Winter Wash for Indoor Fruit Trees—This is known as the Paraffin-Naphthaline Solution. Put into a boiler 101b. of soft soap, add 3 pints of water, and heat gently till quite liquid. Put 2 J pints of paraffin into another vessel, and stand it in the hot liquid, keeping the fire very low. Into the paraffin put lib. of stick naph- thaline, and stir till dissolved. Remove all from the fire, and whilst stirring the soap rapidly pour the paraffin solu- tion slowly in, and stir until a good emulsion is formed. c IS GARDEN FOES. Tile i-esLilting grease-like mass can be stored in a tin till wanted. Uses. — Half a pound of the mixture dissolved in hot water and made up to three gallons is the strength for ordinary use on green leaves; 1^-lb. to 3 gallons will not hurt for dormant vines and peaches. For washing glass and woodwork the stronger the better. It can be applied as a coai-se spray, and then be followed with the syringe and clear water. A good remedy for red spider. Time to Apply. — After the leaves have fallen, and before growth begins in the case of the strong solution, and in summer for the weak solution. 7. A Simple Winter Wash for a Few Trees. — If a small number of trees are to be sprayed, and the caustic potash and soda are difficult to obtain in the right strength locally, the solution may be made as follows: Washing soda 2A lb. Potassium carbonate (pearlash) 1 lb. Quicklime (fresh) 2i lb. Soft soap ... ' I lb. Water to make up 10 gal. Slake the lime to a fine powder with a little water, and then mix to a thin cream. Add the soda and potash, and stir well till dissolved. Add the soft soap dissolved in some more water, and make up to 10 gallons; stir well, and then allow the lime to settle. PourofFtheliquidforuse. Uses. — For destroying moss, lichen, insect ova, etc. Time to Apply. — November to March. 8. A Winter Spray-fluid (brought out and highly recommended by Mr. Strawson) is as follows : Caustic soda (70 per cent.) 1 lb. Carbonate of potash (80 per cent.) 1 lb. Copper sulphate (98 per cent.) 1 lb. Treacle 1 lb. Soda carbonate (08 per cent.) 2J lb. Water to make up to 10 gal. INSECTICIDE FORMULAE. 19 The caustic soda, potash, and treacle are -dissolved together in a gallon or two of water. The copper sulphate and carbonate of soda are also dissolved separately, then mixed. The copper sulphate is dissolved, in' a vessel large enough to hold the complete (solution, and the soda carbonate added slowly to it, and then the caustic soda and the potash, stirring all the time. The mixture should be kept mixed whilst spraying. Wooden vessels should be used for copper sulphate or any of the caustic alkali solutions. Iron ones are rapidly spoiled unless enamelled. Great care sliould be taken not to get caustic alkali on the skin, and the face and hands should be kept greased with vaseline while using the sprayer. Painful burns result if the spray is allowed to dry on. Uses. — Same purposes as No. 1. Time to Apply. — Winter only. SPRING AND SUMMER WASHES. 9. Lime and Salt Wash. — A wash highly recom- mended l)y many experts: Lime 1 to 1^ cwt. Salt 30 to 401b. Water lOOgal. Fii-st slake fresh Ihne and mix it with 50 gallons of water, and in the remaining 50 gallons dissolve the salt ; then mix the two. Some authorities recommend the addi- tion of I to lib. of waterglass (sodium silicate), but it appears this is not essential. The mixture requires to be strained through a very fine sieve before using. Uses. — For cleansing trees of moss, lichen, and alga?, and destroying the ova of the Apple Sucker (Psylla), Plum Aphis, Mussel Scale, etc. Time to Apply.— From the end of February to the beginning of April. Must not be used after the buds open. c 2 20 GARDEN FOES. 10. Arsenate of Lead Wash — A capital wash for destroying all biting insects, as catcrpillaiis and beetles: Arsenate of eocla (pure) 3^ oz. Acetate of lead 7 oz. Water 10 gal. Diissolve in water and thoroughly mix; then add lib. of treacle, to cause the wash to adhere to the trees. This wash is to be obtained ready prepared under the name of Swift's Arsenate of Lead Paste. Poisonous. Uses. — A good remedy for destroying the larva> of the Winter, Codlin, Lackey, and Currant Moths; also Goose- berry Sawfly and Slugworms. Time to Apply. — When the buds fii'st show signs of bursting ; again when the petals fall ; .and again a few weeks later to destroy Yapourer Moth larvae. 11. Paris Green Wash.— Another arsenical wash of special value for destroj'ing all biting insects. It is pre- pared in two ways — (a) by means of Paris green in powder form, and (b) by means of a paste known as Blundell's Paste. As the powder is very poisonous, and liable to be inhaled, it is safer to use the paste form. Blundell's Paste 1 oz. Water lOgai. Lime 4oz. Mix the paste with the water, then add the lime and keep constantly stirred whilst using, or the Paris Green will sink to the bottom of the sprayer. Uses. — For destroying Caterpillars and Beetles. If used on peach, nectarine, or apricot trees add |oz. of paste only to 10 gals, of water. Time to Apply. — Same as advised for Formula? Nos. 10 and 11. Do not apply when trees are in flower. 12. London Purple Wash. — Also an arsenical wash used for precisely the same purpose as Nos. 10 and 11. As Nos. 10, 11, and 12 are deadly poisonous substances, cattle, horses and fowls should not have access to the liquids; INSECTICIDE FORMULA. 21 nor is it advisable for them to be allowed in orchards until a few weeks after application. These washes must not be applied to trees having an undercrop of currants, gooseberries, or strawberries later than a month before gathering the fruit. London Purple 1 oz. Lime loz. Water 10 gal. Mix as advised for Formula No. 11. Uses. — Same as Nos. 10 and 11. Time to Apply. — Same as Nos. 10 and 11. MISCELLANEOUS INSECTICIDES. 13. Tobacco Water — Boil 4oz. of shag tobacco in a gallon of water for half an hour; strain off the liquor, and use when cold. Uses. — As a remedy for Greenfly on greenhouse and window plants or roses. Time to Apply. — When insects infest the foliage. 14. Quassia and Soft Soap. — The bestdmown of the home-made sprays for garden and greenhouse use : Quassia lib. Soft soap lib. Water lOgal. The quassia should be boiled with half the soap and half the water for about one hour, and then the liquid poured off and the boiling continued with the remainder of the soap and water for another hour, the two solutions being added together for spraying. Soft soap by itself, 2Ub. to .10 gallons water, is often used. Uses. — For ridding plants, roses, etc., of Aphides. Time to Apply. — In summer. 15. Hellebore Wash. — A cheap and easily-made insecticide for destroying caterpillais on gooseberry and currant bushes. 22 GARDEN FOES. Hellebore powder (fresh) 2J lb. Water lOgal. Or: Pyrethriim powder 2hlh. Water 10 gal. These two mixtures must be kept well stirred dur- ing use. Uses. — See above remarks. Time to Apply. — A month before gathering the fruit, as the hellebore powder is poisonouis. 16. Kerosene Emulsion. _ The Hubbard-Riley kerosene emulsion, one of the most utseful stock sohitions to have on hand, is made as follows: Kerosene oil 2 gal. Boiling water 1 gal. Soft isoap (8 per cent.) |lb. The soap is dissolved in the water, and when still boil- ing is poured into the oil and beaten up well until a creamy liquid is formed and the mixture begins to cool. It is then poured into a sprayer and sprayed back into the vessel through a fine nozzle, using as much power as possible. This forms the stock solution, which can be kept bottled for use. It is mixed with water in propor- tion to suit its purpose, from one part emulsion to 50 parts water for greenfly on tender subjects, to one part in two for brushing on American blight. It is quite safe to use as long as it remains an emulsion and no oil separates out. Uses. — For destroying (jreenfly anplied in cone form to suit structures with various cubical contents. Requires no lamp or candle. Has simply to be lighted at the apex of the cone. Insecticide Sheets and Fumers (MacDou- gall's). — The former consists of sheets of celhilose charged with nicotine, and made in sizes to suit house s of different cubical capacities. The latter consists of a solid mass of nicotine, which has to be evaporated by lighting a small candle placed beneath. SPRAYING APPARATUS. 35 CHAPTER YI. SPRAYING APPARATUS. To be able to use the insecticides and fungicides recom- mended in this volume to the beet advantage the gardener must provide himself with an efficient apparatus. The old-time method of using an ordinary garden syringe or engine for the purpose no longer obtains, for science and experience have clearly demonstrated that if insecticides or fungicides are to act effectually they muet be applied in a finely-diffused form — a very fine mist or spray— so that every particle of leaf, or branch, or bud is thoroughly moistened. This effect cannot be obtained by means of any ordinary coarse-nozzled syringe. Besides, there Ig a great waste of liquid, and, where costly fluids are used, the application of insecticides or fungicides is under such conditions a costly business. Nowadays a variety of apparatus specially designed to apply liquids in an economical, effectual way may be ob- tained in sizes adapted for spraying on a large or small seale, and those who wish to use insecticides or fungicides to the best advantage should certainly make it their busi- ness to acquire a suitable one. Latrge Spraying: Machines— Here we will deal with machines adapted for use in small orchards or gar- dens where standard trees require to be sprayed, and such as can be operated by one or two men. Several machines of this type are manufactured by Messrs. W. Weeks and Sons, Ltd., Maidstone. They have a portable two-manual sprayer, operated by two men, fitted with strong pumps and unchokeable valves, and mounted on a three-wheeled carriage. The pump possesses sufficient power to deliver liquids through a hose for 200 to 300 yards away, and then to supply four to eight nozzles. Such a machine is useful where the pump cannot be brought close to the tree to be operated upon. D 2 36 GARDEN FOES. The same firm make portable haml-power spraying machines, consisting of tanks mounted on two wheels, and capable of holding from 25 to 100 gallons of liquid. The pumps are of gunmetal, the valves of special make, and each machine has a large air chamber, which main- tains a high pressure between each stroke of the pump. Each machine has a suitable length of delivery hose fitted WINTEH SPEATING FRUIT TREES. with bamboo or brass attachments, and two sets of nozzles. These machines are suitable for half-standards or bush trees, and handy for gardens or small planta- tions. Thoy were awarded both first prizes for power and hand sprayers at the Royal Agricultural Show at^ Gloucester, 1909, and also gained first and second prizes for power, and ^ first and second prizes'ffor hand sprayers, at the Bath and West of Endand Show at liociiester, 1910. SPRAYING APPARATUS. 37 The " Strawson " ■sprayers, manufactured by Mackieis, Ltd., Pleading, are also excellent hand-power machines. One is. the "Portable Fruit Tree Sprayer," a light machine, not mounted on wheels, but provided with four handles to enable it to be easily moved about by two men. A powerful brass pump is fitted to a horizontal 18-gallon barrel, mounted on an iron frame, and two 30ft. lengths of delivery hose, fitted with brass lances, cocks, and nozzles. This, machine is capable of delivering the spray to tall standards. They also make a smaller machine, to run on four small wheels to be drawn by hand or a pony. This is known as the " Small Fruit Tree Sprayer." Knapsack Sprayers.— Here we have a type of machine that will suit the requirements of owners of small gardens. They are made in various forms, but all are constructed so as to be carried on the back, one hand operating the pump and the other the delivery hose. Messrs. W. Weeks, Ltd., Maidstone, make what they term an " Improved Knapsack Sprayer," capable of hold- ing 3| gallons of fluid, and weighing when full 141b. It is strongly made, is very duiable, and reasonable in cost. Messrs. Ph. Mayfarth and Co., Bunhill Row, London, E.G., have a knapsack sprayer called the " Syphonia," which autom.atically delivers the fluid without the aid of a pump. It consists of two parts— the tank, or sprayer, and a force pump. The latter has to be fixed to a tub containing the fluid, and is then connected to the tank when to be filled. First of all air is pumped in until the pressure gauge registers 151b. pressure, then the fluid is pumped in until the gauge indicates 451b., when the tap is turned off and the delivery hose adjusted. When re- quired for use it is only necessary to turn the tap slightly to deliver the spray with great force. Can be used by a m.an or youth. The Alpha Extinguisher, Ltd., Ross, Herefordshire, also make a handy and efficient machine, known as the •^8 GARDEN FOES. "Alpha Knapsack Sprayer." It is in the form of a cjhndrical tank, fitted with straps to enable it to be car- ried on the back of a man. It is made in sizes to hold one quart, two quarts, three quarts, one and a half gal- lons, three and a half gallons, and five gallons, and is automatic in action, the fluid being discharged by com- pressed air forced in prior to charging by means of an ordinary bicycle pump. An excellent machine for orchard, garden, or greenhouse spraying. Vermorel's Knapsack Sprayer (" Eclair No. 1 ") is a well-known machine, which has been extensively used in this country for many yeais. It is of handy size, durable, and reasonable in cost. The liquid in this case is dis- charged by working a pump lever with one hand, while the other is employed in directing the spray on to the trees. The sole agents are Messrs. Cooper, Peglor, and Co., 24 to 26, Christopher Street, Finsbin^' Square, liondon, P^.C. A cheaper but equally effective machine is made by Jeyes' Sanitary Compound Company, Ltd., Cannon Street, London, E.C. This consists of a galvanised iion tank, capable of holding two gallons of liquid, and weigh- ing when full 201b. Attached to the tank is a delivery hose connected to a syringe fitted with a brass arm about 3ft. or so long, terminating in a fine nozzle. The operator holds the body of the syringe in the left hand, and with the right draws out the piston to charge the syringe with liquid; then gently, but firmly, pushes it forward to force the liquid out in a fine spiay on to the tree or bush. This machine is easy to work, and does its work most effec- tively. Handy Sprayers. — This form of apparatus is one that can be carried in the hand and worked by compressed air, or by an indiarubber tube and air-ball. There are many kinds of these, varying from the type used by hair- dressers to larger sizes made in brass or other metal. Those worked by comprei^sed air are very handy to use. SPRAYING APPARATUS, 39 Tlie liquid is placed into a reservoir and this screwed down tightly; then a cylinder is filled with compreissed air by means of a small hand-pump attached. When required for use it is only necessary to turn on a tap and the liquid will be forced out in a steady, fine mist or spray. This is called a " pneumatic sprayer." Other kinds have an air-pump attached, which has to be steadily worked to diffuse the liquid; .and others have a brass tube and indiarubber ball attached, with a tube fitting into a bottle, the liquid being forced out by pressure of the ball. These small hand-sprayers are suitable for spraying plants in pots, or rose bushes. Syringes. —Ordinary syringes fitted with fine nozzles may be used for applying soft soap and quassia solutions to rose bushes or plants, but not for the application of fungicides or insecticides that have to be applied in a very fine spray. The best types of the ordinary syringe are undoubtedly Reid's Patent, fitted with Cooper's Pro- tector and Stone's Plunger; and Cooper's Patent, fitted with duplex spray-jets and protector. For the applica- tion of insecticides generally on a small scale the "Abol Sprayer " is unquestionably the best of the syringe type. This is fitted with a curved nozzle and very fine sprayer, which enables the liquid to be easily applied to the under, as well as the upper, sides of the foliage by turning the nozzle in the direction required. Moreover, it has the merit of not being expensive. 40 GARDEN FOES. CHAPTER VII. POWDER DISTRIBUTORS. It is necessary to be equipped with a suitable apparatus to apply the various insect powders recommended else- where in this volume. It is true, manj^ powders are supplied in tins with perforated lids to enable them to be dredged on to the leaves. This, however, is a clumsy method. What is wanted is an apparatus that will dis- tribute the powder evenly and gently over the entire sur- face of the leaves, and this can only be properly done by one of the following apparatus: Indiarubber Distributors— These are made of stout indiarubber, with a brass nozzle attached. The powder — tobacco, hellebore, or sulphur — is placed inside, and by pressing the indiarubber bag in the hand the powder is forced out through the nozzle. The "Acme " is the best form. Suiphurators. — There are several kinds of these. A simple form is the " Midget," which consists of a small bellows with a spout terminating in the form of a spoon. The sulphur, by pressing the bellows in the hand, is driven out in a fine cloud. Another kind is of French origin, and consists of a bellows, with a vessel attached for liolding the sulphur, and a spout with a spoon-like end. The bellows is worked with two hands, and the sulphur driven out in a wide and long spray. A useful apparatus for sulphuring rose trees, vines, etc. The distributoi-s and suiphurators are inexpensive and indispensable apparatus for applying powder insecticides. HOW AND WHEN TO SPRAY, 41 CHAPTER VIII. HOW AND WHEN TO SPRAY. Although the precise time to spray for any particular insect or disease has been given in the remarks under each, yet it will be well, perhaps, that we should supply a few general hints on the subject, and on other matters pertaining thereto. When to Spray. — Generally speaking, winter spray- ing is done when growth is dormant. January to March is about as good a time as any for carrying out such work. Spring spraying is usually done between March and May. Summer spraying may be done any time during the season of growth. Poisonous spray-tiuids should not, however, be applied to ripe or ripening fruit. It is really not safe to spray within six weeks of the fruit being fit to eat. This rule should be strictly observed in order to avoid fatal acci- dents. Spraying, again, should be done in fine weather, not when raining, otherwise the fluid will be washed off before it has had time to take effect. Evening is a good time to spray on a small scale. How to Spray.— See that the mixtures or fluids are thoroughly well mixed before using. Where coarse mate- rials enter the composition of the fluids it is advisable to strain the Hquids through a fine strainer before using; otherwise grit or other particles may get into the spray nozzles and prevent the efficient working of the apparatus. Whether applied with a spraying machine or with a syringe, always see that the liquid is delivered in a mist- 42 GARDEN FOES. like diffusion, so that it effectually coats the upper and under sides of the leaves with a thin film of moisture. Mixtures like Paris Green always injure the foliage if the liquid collects in drops on the edges of the leaves. Poisonous fungicides or insecticides must not be applied to trees having saladings or vegetable crops, or fruiting strawberries beneath. These will discolour the foliage and render the crops unsafe to eat. In the case of spray- ing trees in orchards do not allow live stock or poultry to HOW AND WHEN TO SPRAY. 48 enter until several weeks after the spraying is done, or serious consequences may follow. A coarser spray should be used for winter than for summer work. In winter spraying see that the fluid is forced into every crevice of the bark, and also reaches every twig and branch. Always use indiarubber gloves on the hands when spraying with the caustic soda emul- sion. If not, the skin may be burned by the fluid. Syringing Greenhouse or Window Plants. — Very large plants should be laid on their sides and the foliage be gradually well moistened by the fluid, the operator standing at the pot end and turning the plant over by degrees. Keep the plant on its side for an hour or so, then well syringe with water. Smaller plants may be syringed thus : Place the insecticide in a large tub ; then get another person to hold the stem and pot firmly on the edge, while another well syringes the foliage, which is held over the hquid. Small single plants may be treated as follows: Grasp the stem between the middle fingers of the right hand and also the top of the pot. With the other hand also hold the pot firmly ; then invert the foliage and dip it tw^o or three times in a vessel of insecticide, and give it a gentle shake to disperse superfluous fluid. A number of small plants may be treated quickly in this fashion. This is a good way to cleanse fern fronds of dust. Spongring: Plants. — Many hard-leaved plants, like oranges, camellias, etc., may be cleared of insects by sponging the leaves and stems with an insecticide solu- tion, such as soft soap and quassia, or paraffin and soft soap, or one of the advertised insecticides. Use a piece of sponge free from grit. This is very important, as particles of grit would lacerate the leaves. Scale ins-ects may be scraped off with a thin blade of wood or removed with a hard tooth- or nail-brush, and the parts afterwards well washed with the sponge and insecticide. Frequent sponging is beneficial, as it not only removes insects, but also honeydew and filth collected on the foliage. 44 GARDEN FOES. CHAPTER IX. FUMIGATING. In addition to the method of fumigation by the cyanide process, described in the next chapter, there is also the old-fashioned one of fumigation by means of the many nicotine preparations in the market. It is a ready means of eradicating such pests as Thrips, Aphides (Greenfly), Red Spider, Snowy Flies, etc., from glasshouses, includ- ing frames. Formerly fumigation was attended with a certain amount of risk to the plants, since the materials available could not l)e depended upon for their purity and freedom from injury to vegetation. Of late years, how- ever, several pre23arations of nicotine have been placed on the market that are absolutely safe to use if employed in the manner directed by the makers, and at the same time far more effective in the destruction of indoor pests. Materials. — The old-fashioned kinds were shag tobacco and paper, or rag steeped in tobacco juice and then dried. These materials, when required for use, had to be placed in a vessel containing hot coals, and allowed to burn slowly so as to fill the house with a dense volume of smoke. As there was always a risk of the materials blazing it was necessary for the attendant to have to watch the combustion, and to go inside, breathing the fumes meanwhile, and damp the materials, thus meet- ing with pei"sonal discomfort. This antiquated method, however, no longer obtains in well-ordered gardens. By means of the specially-prepared sheets or rolls isaturated with nicotine, or the compounds of nicotine prepared in liquid or solid form and sold in sizes or quantities to fumigate according to the cubical FUMIGATING. 45 area of a greenhouse or frame, it is possible to fumigate glasshouses without the slightest personal discomfort or risk of injury to vegetation, and with the absolute cer- tainty that all pests will be destroyed. The sheets or rolls have simply to be fixed in the house and ignited, and left to burn by themselves without any necessity to re-enter the house. The other preparations have to be vaporised by means of a small spirit lamp placed underneath. Each inven- tion is sold complete, so that it is unnecessary to purchase Fig. 1. Fig. 2. CUBICAL CONTENTS OF GREENHOUSE'?. Diag-rams showing- above are to be obtained. a fumigating apparatus. There are a number of these excellent materials in the market — such as cones charged with nicotine, and which have simply to be ignited, no lamp being required — and it would be invidious on our part to mention any of them specially. No doubt, several will be advertised in this volume. If not, a reference to the pages of "Amateur Gardening " or the " Gardeners' Magazine " will give a choice of suitable preparations. Cubical Capacity of Greenhouses. — In order to use the preparations sold with accuracy, the cubical 46 GARDEN FOES. contente of the glas^sliouse «hould be ascertained bef(3re- hand, and either marked up in a spot ea^sily to be found or memoranda thereof entered in a notebook. Most of the nicotine preparations have printed directions on them stating the quantity to be used per 1,000 cubic feet; hence it is essential the exact cubical area of a house to be fumi- gated should be known. To ascertain the cubical contents of a span or lean-to greenhouse, in order to know the exact quantity of fumigating material required, proceed as follows: In the case of a span-roof greenhouse (Fig. 1) multiply the length C to D by the breadth A to B, and the total by the average height, obtained by the aA^erage height B to E, and the result will give the cubical con- tents. Proceed in a similar manner with a lean-to struc- ture (Fig. 2) — that is, multiply the length C to D by the breadth A to B, and the total by the average height B to E. The dotted lines show the directions in which the measurements should be taken. The portions of the loofs above the dotted lines E E are allowed for b^^ assum- ing that the angles of the dotted lines E to B represent space equal to these. How to Fumigate.— The best time to fvmiigate a greenhouse or frame is the evening of a calm day. If the day be windy the rush of air through the laps, of the glass or ill-fitting sashes, doors, and ventilators, will drive out the fumes, and the volume of nicotine fumes or vapour will not be sufficiently intense to destroy insect life. Fail- ing a calm evening, choose the early morning of a dull day. In any case, see that the ventilators are tightly closed, and broken glass and crevices sealed up. Damp sacks or mats thrown over broken glass or badly-fitting ventilators, and also placed at the bottoms of the doors, will prevent the fumes or vapour escaping. The foliage, too, of the plants must be dry, and so must the floor and staging, for the nicotine to act effectively. Once the materials are started into action, withdraw from the house and lock it up. If fumigated in the even- FUMIGATING. 47 ing do not enter the house till the following morning, and if done in the morning wait till the afternoon before doing so. Remember, the fumes or vapour of nicotine are poisonous, and must not be inhaled. In the case of aphide^^ one fumigation usually kills them. Thrips sometimes require to be fumigated on two successive days, and Red Spider and Mealy Bug on three successive days. On the morning after each fumigation thoroughly syringe the plants to remove remains of dead insects. Errors to Avoid. — Never fumigate ferns; their foli- age is too tender to withstand the fumes, and will turn brown and shrivel if fumigated. Fumigation, too, discolours the flowers of many plants, and causes them to shed their petals quickly; so avoid fumigating flowering plants in blossom unless badly infested. Grape-vines, again, should not be fumigated when the crop is ripening; nor, indeed, should ripening fruit of any kind be fumigated, as there would be a risk of a poisonous deposit taking place on the skins. Never exceed the quantity of materials advised for a specific number of cubic feet. It is far safer to err on the side of using a less amount and fumigating on two occa- sions than to exceed the amount in one operation. Fu migrating: Outdoor Crops.— It is possible to fumigate fruit trees and bushes in the open air by envelop- ing the tree in a close-textured sheet and using tobacco sheets or rolls, or one of the other compounds, at the base. The cubical contents of the area of the tree or bush should be ascertained, so as to use approximately the right quan- tity of nicotine. We have successfully fumigated wall trees, roses, larger fruit trees, and currant bushes in the manner just described. 48 GARDEN FOES. CHAPTEE X. CYANIDING. A NEW PROCESS FOR DESTROYING INSECTS. A NEW method of dealiDg with insect and fungoid destruc- tion on a large scale has been undergoing a practical test for some time, and the results obtained have been fairly satisfactory. The process, however, is one which requires to be carried out with considerable skill, since the chemi- '"'S ^ s^^^kT^ ^»IS ^.-| p / .. iM. ^ AA^, i.... m 1 K^ists • ^ ■■ :' ^^— -«=^:^ [Photo: J. G. Blakey. A SIMPLE CYANIDING APPARATUS. A shows the apparatus ready for use, and B the bottle tilted by pulling a string: so that the acid can. fall on the cyanide in the ves<;el. cals used are of a deadly poisonous nature. As this Handbook would not be complete without some reference to the subject, we reproduce the subjoined ably-written article contributed by Mr. W. M. Bear to the pages of "Farm and Garden." " No reference to insecticides would be complete at the present time without mention of the process of cyaniding, CYANIDING. 40 by which every pest can be killed more surely than by any other method. Ked Spider even has been said by some users to succumb to its effects, but it is still a ques- tion to many if this adamantine pest can really be suc- cessfully treated on tender isubjecte, such as vines. A very strong application, sufficient to kill Mealy Bug, can be made while the vines are dormant; but at this time the Red Spider is also dormant, and exceedingly hard to kill, being well hidden in cracks in the woodwork and under the bark of the vices . " On growing plants great care is necessary in the appli- cation of the remedy. The temperature of the houses must be as low as 50 degrees, and the plants dry and free from drops of moisture on the leaves. The evening is the best time, as strong light is not desirable during the operation. The ventilators of the houses to be operated upon must be capable of being opened from outside, as the gas is a most deadly poison. Nobody must on any account enter the house whilst the fumigation is going on. It is most important that all chemicals used in the pre- paration of the gas shall be of known strength, and be obtained from reliable firms. " The Chemicals Used are a double salt of potas- sium and sodium cyanide, 98 to 100 per cent, purity, and sulphuric acid of specific gravity 1.8. The former chemi- cal is often called sodium cyanide 130 per cent. This has been used to denote the fact that the strength of the above-mentioned double salt, as compared with potassium cyanide of 98 per cent, purity, is as 130 to 100. That is, if loz. of potassium cyanide 98 percent, would be required to fumigate a certain space, only foz. of the 130 per cent, sodium cyanide would be required to do the same work. Now potassium cyanide is made in strengths varying from 30 per cent, to 98 per cent., so that unless the exact strength is known, and the quantity required calculated on this basis, serious damage might be done to the plants. On the other hand, this double salt of sodium and potas- E 50 GARDEN FOES. slum cyanide is only made in the one strength, so that when the grower sees the results of experiments pub- lished in which so much sodium cyanide was used without hurting the plants operated upon, he need not hesitate to use the same weight of chemical; but if he sees that potassium cyanide was used he must first find out what strength was used before repeating the operation for him- self. All he must remember is that sodium cyanide 130 per cent, is the same thing as sodium-potassium cyanide 98 to .100 per cent, purity. It is a pity that the fonner term was ever allowed to exist at all. It is absurd and inaccu- rate, and should never have been allowed to pass by the introducer of it as a horticultural chemical. It is true he explains the incongruity of the term 130 per cent., but he does not say that it is a double salt of sodium and potassium. " How it is Done — To come to the actual operation of cyaniding, first estimate the space in cubic feet to be operated upon. Then to every 2,000 cubic feet allow for a first experimental application |oz. of 98 i:>er cent, sodium - potassium cyanide, and 1 J fluid ounces of sulphuric acid 1.8 per cent, specific gravity. The acid, before using, must be diluted by pouring it slowly into two and a half times its bulk of cold water. For a small greenhouse of, say, 4,000 cubic feet, where only two sets of apparatus w^ould be required, pro- ceedings may bo taken as follows: Obtain two glazed eai-thenware pans. Into these put the diluted sul])huric acid. Above the pans hang a piece of board, which can be swung to and fro like a punkah by means of a string- pulled from outside. Wrap the dose of cyanide in a ^mall piece of llotting-paper or muslin, and, if possible, suspend it just over the pan by a cotton, which can be cut from outside. If this cannot be done, the packet must be dropped into the acid by hand, and a rapid retreat be made at once. Do not use much wrapping for the cyanide, or it may float on the acid, and no action take place for CYANIDING. 51 a long time. Keep the houses shut for forty minutes, and keep the punkahs swinging for thirty minutes to distri- bute the gas thoroughly. At the expiration of the time throw open all doors and later the ventilators, to allow the fumes to escape before anyone is allowed to work in the houses. If this mild dose is found insufficient to kill the insects on the plants, increase the dose Joz. at a time, with the corresponding quantity of acid, until the right strength is found. " The Apparatus. — Anyone wishing to do cyaniding on a larger scale cannot do better than make himself the following apparatus, the invention of Mr. Gr. F. Strawson. One set of apparatus is required for every 2,000 cubic feet of air space to be cyanided. The illustration given here- with shows a complete set of apparatus ready to be set in APPARATUS FOR CYANIDING. action. The punkah, P, is made of pieces of board nailed to cross battens, and is hung by strings from its top corners 52 GARDEN FOES. to screw-eyes in the rafters above, so as to hang evenly about IBin. from the ground. It may measure about 3ft. by 18in. A stout string, S, is fixed to the punkah, much in the same way as the string to a kite, only horizontally, instead of vertically, and is led outside through a hole in the door. A cord taken from the back of the first punkah is fixed in the same way to the front of the next, and so on down the whole house, so that on pulling the cord out- side all the punkahs are set swinging at the same time. A glazed earthenware pan is placed under the punkah, and the cyanide is put into it. Then the bottle containing the diluted acid is placed as shown in the sketch, sup- ported by the strip of wood, H, which has a nail driven through it, which is placed under the platform, C, upon which the bottle lies. Now on pulling the string, S, the punkah is drawn forward and knocks away the supporting strip, H. This allows the bottle to drop down and empty its contents into the pan of cyanide. Action immediately takes place between the two chemicals, and the hydro- cyanic acid gas is liberated, and is thoroughly distributed to every part of the house by swinging the punkahs. "The Bottle Apparatus. — To give a detailed description of the bottle apparatus: The bottle, which is generally an old champagne bottle fitted with a cork hav- ing two triangular grooves cut in it on opposite sides, one of which allows the acid to run out slowly and the other for the entrance of air to take its place, rests on a piece of board llin. by 3|in. by Hin., marked C. At the front end of this is nailed a small piece of wood, E, having a notch cut in it to fit the neck of the bottle. A small strip of wood is nailed on to C behind the bottle to keep it from slipping backwards, and to keep it pressed up to the notch. Two small upright strips, D, are nailed one on each side to keep the bottle from rolling off. Two screws are put about halfway in, as at G, for the platform, C, to swing on. These must be placed so that when the bottle is in the position shown in the sketch it will drop neck CYANIDING. 53 downwards immediately the trigger, H, is pulled away, and so that when the bottle is tipped over as far as it will go the other way it will remain in that position for filling, etc. A button, F, is. put on of isuch a length that when it is. turned down, as in the sketch, the bottle will not remain at rest, but must pitch forward and empty its contents. The screw^s, G, go into slots cut in the two uprights, B, which are nailed to a piece of board, A. The trigger, H, is simply a small strip of wood long enough to reach from the ground to the punkah, and having a nail driven through it to act as a support to the platform, C, when the apparatus is set. "A Word of Caution — There are a few remarks to be made about the process before concluding. Sulphuric acid, when diluted, must always be poured into the water, for if the water is poured into the acid it will probably be distributed about the operator's person in a way he is not likely to forget. When opening the ventilators to allow the gas to escape, keep to windward, and hold the breath until you are at a safe distance, and do not enter the houses until half an hour has passed. Eemember that the temperature must be low and the leaves of the plants dry, or damage will result. Experiment first with small doses, and gradually increase until the pests are killed. Mr. Strawson has found the following strengths effica- cious: l^oz. of the 130 per cent, cyanide per 2,000 cubic feet sufficient for easily-killed insects; and from 2oz. for some others, up to 3Aoz. for lied Spider." Part II.-FRUIT FOES. CilAPTKK I. APPLE PESTS. A INSECTS. American Blight (Schizonoura lanigera).— This pest, ako known as the Woolly Aphis, iis not, as its popular name would imply, of American origin. It is really a European pest, which foimd its way to America and thence to this country. It belongs to the Aphis family, produces winged and wingless females, and, like other aphides, bring.s forth its young alive during spring and summer, eggs oidy being laid in autumn. The white cottony substance found in patches on the ishoots, etc., of trees is an excretion from glands on the back of the female insects. The young aphides, or lice, are yellowish or reddish in colour. Successive generations of the latter are produced by wingleiss females from spring to autumn. Late in the year wnnged females and males appear, the former laying the egg, then dying. The eggs hatch in spring. A few viviparous females, however, hibernate in the bark or on the roots, come forth m spring, and give birth to fresh broods. The lice pierce the tender parts of the shoots with their beaks and extract the sap. The punctures cause abnormal development of the cells and APPLE PESTS. C5 excrescences to form ou the shoots or branches. These growths interfere with the proper flow of the sap, and cauise the tissues to be diseased. Trees badly attacked, therefore, become unhealthy, and refuse to bear freely. The cottony substance covering the lice gets blown by the wind or carried by the feet or feathers of birds to other and healthy trees, and, as small lice are invariably attached, new colonies are constantly being founded in " fresh fields and pastures new," so to speak. Moreover, [Photo: J. G. Ela.k€y. Al'I'LE SHOOTS I>^FESTED AVITH AMERICAN BLIGHT. colonies of this pest also live on the roots, and cause galls to form thereon. Eemedies. — Thoroughly spray the trees in winter (Feb- ruary) with Formulae Nos. 1 or 8. In March inject into the soil some carbon disulphide to destroy the winter brood of Aphides hibernating on the roots. Apply by means of a special syringe, pushing the nozzle of the latter six inches into the soil. Apply 2 to 4oz. to each tree, and about 2ft. from the trunk. The carbon is highly inflam- 56 GARDEN FOES, mable, so do not smoke when using it. In summer the best remedy is to paint the infested parts with paraffin oiL Apple Aphides. — Several aphides attack the fohage of the apple. ThufS the Leaf-curling Aphis (Aphiis pomi) attacks the young leaves in early spring, causing them to curl. Then another species, the Eosy-leaf Aphis (Aphis sorbi), causes the leaves to assume a rosy-red tint and to [IMuito: .1. G. Blakev. APl'LE APHIS (APHIS POM J). .Sliowing- the insects in A'arioue stages of development. curl very much. Yet another — the Blossom and Leaf Aphis (Aphis fitchii) — feeds on the opening buds, and later the blossoms. In each case the insects are hatched in early spring from eggs laid the preceding autumn. Remedies. — Spray in autumn with the Winter Wash (Formula No. 5) ; or in February with Formula No. 1 ; or in April with Formula No. 16. See Chapter III., Part I. APPLE PESTS. 57 Apple Blossom Weevil (Anthonomus pomorum).— The larvie of the Apple Blofssom Weevil do an immense amount of injury to the blossoms of apple and pear trees in spring. The weevil measures only one-quarter of an inch in length and one-eighth in breadth. It is usually of a blackish coloui', covered with down of an ashy-grey hue. It is provided with a rostrum, or snout, about half as long as its body. The w^eevils hibernate in chinks and crevices of the bark of various trees during the winter. Directly warm spring weather sets in, about the end of March, the weevils find their way to the blossom buds of both apple APPLE BLOSSOM WEEVIL (ANTHONOMUS P0M015UM). and pear trees. The female then deftly bores a hole with her snout in the flower-bud, and deposits an egg therein. The egg hatches in about six to nine days, producing a white maggot without feet, and about one-third of .an inch long. The maggot lies in the bud and devours the stamens and pistil, causing the petals to wither and the bud gene- rally to change to a rusty hue and decay. In the course of a fortnight the larvae change into pupae, in which state they remain from seven to ten days, then appear as per- fect weevils, escaping through the hole bored in the bud by their parent. It is not known for certain whether the young weevils feed upon the foliage or not. 58 GARDEN FOES. Kemedies. — (1) Undoubtedly' the best remedy is to spray the limbs and branches of the trees in February with Formulie Nos. 1 or 8. This will serve the double purpose of destroying any lichens and mosses on the trunk and branches, and at the same time kill weevils or larvie of other pests hiding in the chinks or crevices of the bark. (2) Or the trees may be sprayed in winter with Formula No. T). Apple Sawfly (Hoplocampa testudinea).— TliiiS pest causes injury to the young fruit of apples in pretty much the same way as the Codlin Moth grub. The Sawfly is, about one-quarter of an inch long, and has a black, shiny body, with a reddish-yellow imderside, and transj^arent wings. The sawflies appear about the same time as the apple blossoms begin to expand, and then the females deposit* their eggs in the centre of the flowers. From these are hatched small pale maggots, which at once begin to feed on the centre of the embryo fruit. As the maggots increase in size, so they moult their skins, finally appearing a creamy colour, with a pale chestnut head, and measuring half an inch long. The maggot continues to feed on the interior of the apple until it drops; then it escapes and descends into the ground to enter into the ])upal stage, in which it remains till the following May; then appearing as a Sawfly, and commencing the process of egg-laying. The injuries done by the Apple Sawfly maggot may be easily distinguished from those done by the Codlin Moth grub. The former do not make tunnels, but simply eat out a cavity in the centre of the fruit; whereas the latter form tunnels. liEMEDiEs.— (I) Needless to say, all fallen fruit should at once be collected and burnt. On no account throw the apples on to a heap, where there is a possibility of the larvye forming pupae, and appearing next season as saw- flies. (2) Spray the trees directly the apples are formed with Paris Green solution (No. 11) or Arsenate of Soda Wash (Formula No. 10). (3) If the trees are grown in APPLE PESTS. cultivated orchards stir the ground well at the end oi April and during May, just at the time the sawflies are emerging from their pupal state. Also spread quicklime lilx'rally over tlie surface of the soil to aid in attaiiu'ng a APPLE SAWFLT GRUB (HOPLOCAMPA TESTUDINEA). To the right of the eection of an apple is the grub which ha-s formed the cavitj' shown in the fruit. At the top ie the eawfly with lines to sliow its natural size. similar object. (4) Apply kainit at the rate of an ounce per square yard to the soil in autumn, and fork it in. (5) Dig in one of the soil fumigants in autumn to destroy the CO GARDEN FOES. Apple Sucker (Rsylla mali).— This is an insect which has of kite vcai's done a good deal of injury to fruit treeis. Being rather small, however, and not exceeding one- eighth of an inch in length, its presence is. often not dis- covered; and, moreover, the injuries it causes to the fruit and wood buds is often attributed to other pests or causes. The perfect insect appears in May and June, and is of a yellow, greenish, or reddish colour, with transparent wings. Both the male and female may be seen on the [I'hoto: .1. G. Blakey. APPLE SUCKER (FSYLLA MALI) A^'D LARV^. Theee insects ai'e magnified six diameters. leaves of apple trees in September — the pairing period. The female begins egg-laying about then, and continues doing so up to November. She deposits the eggs singly on the young shoots and on the older branches. They are white or pale yellow, spindle-shaped, and have a thread-like appendage at one end. Hatching takes place APPLE PESTS. 61 in spring, after which the tiny larvcie emigrate to the nearest fruit buds, and at once begin to suck out the sap. In. a short time each infested bud becomes charged with " honey dew " and excreta, the growth of the blossom is arrested, and the latter shrivels and falls off. The flat yellow-and-brown-spotted larvae go through three moults. After the first moult globules with hairs attached form on its body. After the second one the skin becomes green and clothed with white hairs. At the third moult rudi- mentary wings are formed. Finally, the larva pupates in a few hours, and comes forth as a perfect insect. It is the larvae which does the injury. So far as is known the perfect insect is harmless. Eemedies. — (1) Spray the trees thoroughly with the Lime-salt Wash (No. 9) in February or early March. (2) Spray again in September with a Kerosene Emulsion (No. 16). Apple Tree Mite (Oribata lapidaria). — This has been found to do considerable damage to apple trees by con- gregating at the base of fruit buds and sucking out the sap. As a consequence, the young fruit withers and re- fuses to develop. The mites are exceedingly small. The adults lay their eggs in crevices of the bark, and from these are hatched tiny larv;;©, which go through a succes- sion of three moults before attaining maturity. Remedies. — Spray in summer with a Soft Soap and Kero- sene Emulsion (No. 16), or with No. 1 Formula in Feb- ruary. Brown-tail Moth (Euproctis chrysorrhaea). — The larvse of this moth dwell in communities under a web, or " tent " on the foliage of trees, and do considerable injui'y to the young leaves. The parent measures an inch and a-quarter to one-and-three-quarters in the spread of its wings. The forewings are white spotted with black; the hind ones pure white. The male has a golden-brown tail. The moths fly during the night only. The female lays her 62 GARDEN FOES. round, golden-tinted eggs on the under lyides of the leaves, and covers them v^^ith fine hair. This occurs in July or August. The resultant larva? are small and yellow dotted with black. They spin the leaves together, and feed on the epidermis only. In September they spin .several leaves together and line them with silk, iso as to form a "tent." In this way they live during the winter. In spring the larvae wander over the branches, moult in May, changing to a brown colour fii-st, marked with white spots and lines of red and black. Thenceforward they devour the leaves freely, finally spimn'ng a cocoon amongst them, and entering the pupal state till August, when they come forth as moths to lay eggs. Remedies. — (1) Search for the " tents " containmg the larvae in winter, and burn them. (2) Spraying the foliage thoroughly with Paris Green (Formula No. 11) and Ais.-n- ate of Lead (Formula 10) solution in summer, wheji the larviie are moving about freely, will destroy them. Bud Moth (Hedya ocellana). — A small moth, measur- ing about half an inch across its expanded wings. The colour is a dark grey, with black spots near the tips of the upper wings. The moths appear in June and July, and usually fly at night. The eggs, which are laid on the leaves, hatch out in about ten days, and then, under the shelter of a fine web, they feed on the leaves until the latter are fully matured. In autumn they repair to the bases of the buds, and shelter themselves for the winter in a silken kind of case. In spring the reddish-brown larvae with black heads emerge from the cases, and when the buds begin to develop they spin the young foliage blossoms together by a web, and cause the latter to shrivel and turn brown. The apple and the cherry arc specially attacked by this pest. Remedies. — Spraying late in summer with Formulae Nos. 10 or 11 would destroy the young larvae. Another spraying when the buds are about ^0 burst would also be beneficial. APPLE PESTS. 63 Codling: Moth (Carpocapsa pomenella). — The larvae of this moth h a very troublesome pest, not only in Britain, but also in France, German}-, America, Canada, Turkey, Australia, and Tasmania. In fact, it has proved so de- structive in the latter country that a special Act of Parlia- ment has had to be passed to secure its eradication. The injuries wrought by the larvae of this moth may easily be detected in English orchards. For instance, any fallen fruit with a hole in it, when cut open, will in all proba- CODLINfl MOTH AND GRUB (CARPOCAPSA POMENELLA). Note, the grub is se-en inside the fruit. bility contain a grub, or a cavity or tunnel made by it. The parent of the caterpillar is a small moth, measuring three-quarters of an inch across the wings and one-third of an inch in length. It has grey fore and dark golden hind wings. It appeam about the end of May, and may be seen flitting from tree to tree in the twilight or very early in the morning. The moth deposits one egg on each newly-formed fruit, and in a few days a cater- pillar is hatched therefrom, which immediately bores into the flesh. It remains in the fruit from three to four 64 GARDEN FOES. weeks, till fully grown, then escapes and lets itself down to the ground by means of a silken thread. Sometimes the injuries caused by the caterpillar cause the fruit to fall off, and then the caterpillar easily crawls out on to the ground. Directly the caterpillar leaves the fruit it crawls along to the nearest tree and ascends it, finds its way into the first crack or crevice, .and surrounds itself with a silken case gummed over with a sticky fluid. Here it remains till the spring, when it appears as a perfect insect in May. Remedies. — (1) Pick up and burn all fruit that has fallen early on the ground, and that shows evidence of being worm-eaten. (2) Grease-band the trunks, as advised in the remedies for the Winter Moth, taking special care to see the grease paper is kept thoroughly moist and fre- quently smeared with the grease. This smearing must be continued during May and June, and into the early part of July; then the caterpillars, which have let themselves down from the fruit, when they try to ascend the trunks will be easily caught. (3) Spray the trees directly the petals fall with Paris Green solution or Lead Areenate Spray solution (Nos. 10 and 11). This will destroy any eggs that may have been laid upon the young fruit ; repeat the spraying a fortnight later. (4) All dead rubbish, etc., that may have accumulated underneath the trees should be carefully gathered and burnt, so as to prevent the pos- sibihty of any larvae or pupae escaping. (5) Wrap a hay- band, or strips of old sacking, around the trunk of each tree early in June; let this remain till winter; then re- move and burn. The hay will serve as a trap for the larvae or pup«. Figure-of-Eig-ht Moth (Diloba caeruleocephala). — The larvte of this moth, commonly known as the Blue- head Caterpillar, occasionally does injury to the foliage of the apple and plum. The parent measures about one inch to an inch and a-quarter in the spread of its wings. It has brownish or greyish-brown forewings, marked with APPLE PESTS. 65 Wack Imes, white spots, and brownitjh Iiindwiug'S. The female lays its eggs singly during September on the branches and shoots of the trees. The eggs remain until the following spring, when from these are hatched cater- pillars of a dull green colour, marked with a yellow. stripe atlong their back, and with black-spotted rings. They at OYiGe commence to feed on the young foliage, and continue to do so until the middle of June, when they begin to ipiake their cocoons, and enter into the pupal state. The» cocoons are generally attached to the stems of the trees v^...., FIGUIJE OF MOTH (DILOBA C^RULEOCEPHALA.) or to walls or fences. The perfect iuisect emerges early in September, and then commences its work of egg-laying, as previously described. Remedies. — (1) In the event of the larvie infesting the foliage, spray thoroughly with Soft Soap and Quassia (For- mula 14), Kerosene Emulsion (Formula IG), or Paris Green (Formula 11). As the caterpillars attach themselves only ver^^ slightU" to the trees, it appears they may be easily shaken ofl' on to sheets spread below, then collected and destroved. 66 GARDEN FOES. Fruit Tree Beetle (Scolytus rugulosus).— Both the beetle and the larvnti are injuiiouis to fruit trees, boring galleries just underneath the bark, as well as riddling the latter with shot-like holes on the surface. The beetle is small, about one-tenth of an inch long, and black in colour. The females fly in April and May, alight on a trunk or branch or shoot, and bore holes half an inch long between the inner bark and sap wood, and there deposit their eggs. In a few da3^s maggots appear, and begin to form channels at right angles to the main one, thus prac- tically honeycombing the inner bark, and cutting off the supply of sap to the foliage. There are two broods of these beetles in a year. After pupation the beetles make their escajoe through the ruined bark. The larva is milky- white in colour, legless, has a yellow head, and strong brown mandibles. Remedies. — Once the beetles or larv;v are inside the bark it is impossible to get at them. The best thing to do with a tree that is attacked is to cut it down and burn it forthwitli, so as to destroy both beetles and larvne. Shoots or branches that show signs of dying are likely to be infested, and should be cut off and burnt at once. Fruit Tree Tortrix (Semasia woeberiana). — Tlip larvae of this small moth feed on the inner bark of young fruit trees, causing cankered wounds to form, and sub- sequent ill-health of the trees. The moth is of a brown and black colour, streaked with orange and white, and has fringed wings. It only measures half an inch in diameter when its wings are expanded. The larva is small, white, striped with pink. The larvae of another moth, the Apple Clearwing (.Egeria myopiformis) is often found infesting the bark of apple trees, in company with the above larvte. Remedies. — Wherever the bark has a sickly look remove a portion, and if the larvae are seen pare off the infested parts and paint with Stockholm tar. Spraying the trunks APPLE PESTS. 67 with Formula' Nos. 1 or 8 in February will help to check the increase of this pest. Goat Moth (Ccssus ligniperda). — The moth lays its eggs in the crevices of the bark, generally near the groinid. From these maggots are hatched, which, after feeding under the bark while vounu, bore into the heart G^OAT MOTH lOOSSUS LIG^IPEKDA), ASD LARVA. Both of natural size. of the tree. They are of a reddish mahogany colour, with yellowish sides. If several happen to attack a tree they soon render it unhealthy, if not kill it. The caterpillars are three years arriving at maturity, when they measure 3 to 4in. long, and during that time are busy feeding on the wood. They rest, however, in the winter. F 2 68 GARDEN FOES. Eemedies. — (1) If the branch be dead or dying cut it off, and saw into sections to discover the marauderis. When trees are attacked the best remedy is to thrust stout wire into the holes; it is impossible to reach the caterpillars in any other way. If you can get at any of the contents of butterfly-killing bottles, or cyanide of potassium or chloro- form, place a little of either in the hole and seal up with wax, clay, etc. The odour will kill all caterpillars. (2) Paraffin oil, tobacco juice, and sulphur fumes are each good, forced into the burrows by means of a piece of indiarubber tube fixed to the nozzle of a syringe or fumi- gator. Green. leaf Weevil (Phyllobius maculicornis). — This little weevil measures one-sixth of an inch in length, has A-ellowish-red horns, black legs, brown shanks and feet, and a golden-yellow scaly body. It infests the foliage of cherries, plums, apples, and nuts, and devours the soft portions of the leaves. In some seasons and districts the weevils are very prevalent, and do an inniiense amount of injury. Kemedy. — The only satisfactory remedy is to spread sheets beneath the trees, and to suddenly and vigorously shake the branches, so as to dislodge the weevils. Like other weevils, when disturbed they feign death for a short time; consequently when they fall on the sheetis they will remain quiet sufficiently long to enable them to be col- lected and destroyed. Lackey Moth (Clissiocampa neustria). — The larv;e of this moth congregate in colonies under webs, and devour the leaves. The parent has wings from one to one and a-half inches in width, reddish-brown fore wings barred with dusky brown; hind-wings of similar colour or paler. Both male and female moths appear in July, August, and September. The female deposits its eggs in rings on the shoots, each ring consisting of upwards of two hundred eggs. The eggs hatch in April. At first the larvie are black and hairy, but when approaching maturity they turn APPLE PESTS. eo to a bluish- grey, with two black spots on their heads and the first segment, three orange strij^es along each side, a white one down the back, with a black one on each side of this. The body is one and a-half inches long, and covered with rusty hairs. They shelter under the webs on wet days, and at nights are ver}- timid and easily shaken off the branches. The larv?e are fully grown by the end of June; then enter into the pupal stage, the cocoons being found either in crevices of the bark or in the grass beneath. Remedies. — (1) Cut off and burn any shoots encircled by bands of eggs. (2) Collect the webs' by hand and destroy LACKEY MOTH AND LARVA (BOMBYX ISEU-TKA). them. (3) Spray the foliage with Paris Green (No. 11) or Arsenate of Lead (No. 10) solutions. Lichen and Moss. — These are vegetable parasites, and a word must be said about them in this section, be- cause they have some connection with insect pests. In the first place they form a harbour or refuge for the ova, larva^, or pup* of insect pests, and in the second one they render the bark unhealthy by reason of their growing upon it. It is therefore most desirable that moss and lichen should not be permitted to grow on fruit trees, as is so often the case. 70 GARDEN FOES. PiEMEDT. — The remedy is a simple one — tliat of spray- ing the trunks and branches in winter witli Formnhc Nos. 1 and 2. Miscellaneous Pests — While the foregoing are the cdnef pests, there are others capable of doing occasional APPLE SHOOTS [Photo: H. INFKSTED WITH Trees growing: in damp, hecavy soils are sulijor't to having nidss and lieh<^n o-rowing on the hark. harm, but our space will not permit us to deal with these in detail. Thus the larvjx) of the Eyed-Hawk Moth (Smer- inthus oculatus), Lappet Moth (Lassincampa quercifolia). Gold-tailed Moth (Porthesia similis), December Moth (Pnecilocampa populi), Grey Trident Moth (Acronycta APPLE PESTS. 71 psi), Pepper-and-Salt Moth (Ampliidasys betulariic), Clouded Drab Moth (Ttieniocampa incerta), Green Pug- Moth (ChlorocJystis rectangulata), Common Tortrix Moth (Tortrix ribeana), Apple Leaf -Miner Moth (Lyonetia clerckella), and the Apple-Leaf Bhster Moth (Ornix petio- lelia) either feed on the leaves, buds, or blossoms to a limited extent. Then various weevils (Rhynchites species) also feed on the foliage. Those, however, we have de- scribed in detail are the chief culprits. [Photo: H. A. Smith. MUSiSEL SCALE ON AN APPLE. Th-e ecales in rliis caee have attacked the fruit as well as the branches. Mussel Scale (Lepidosaphes ulmi). — This is an insect resembling in shape the mussel, hence its name. It is sometimes found congregated in large quantities on the shoots of apple trees, and when so present it does an immense amount of harm by sucking the sap. If one of the scales be removed the adult and young insects will be found ensconced beneath. The outer covering that is visible to the eye is therefore not the insect, but, as just 72 GARDEN FOES. explainei.iith. APPLE SHOOTS A'lTACKKD BY CANKER. off at the wound. Like tlie majority of destructive para- sites, tlie present fungus possesses two distinct kinds of fruit. The first form, which is most responsible for the spreaella prunastri), which cauees the eudden shrivelling of the foliage and young wood. wounds with tar, and burn every scrap of dead wood found with coral-red spots on them. Disease of Young Fruit Trees — Occasionally young standard and dwarf fruit trees, especially those growing in heavy clayey soils, show sudden indications of APPLE DISEASES. 87 ill-health, due to the premature yellowing and falling of the leaves, followed by the browning and shrivelling of the bark of the stems. This injury is caused by a para- sitic fungus (Eutypella prunastri) developing in the bark and the cambium layer. The mature spores find their way into wounds caused by careless pruning or fractured bark in early summer, and these vegetate in due course and kill the bark. Trees are liable to attack up to ten years of age, and the disease is more active in damp seasons. Attacks the apple, plum, and cherry. Remedies. — As a preventive paint the newly-made wounds at pruning time with Stockholm tar. At the same time paint the trunks with the following mixture, as advised by the Board of Agriculture : ' ' lieduce soft soap to the consistency of paint by the addition of a strong solution of washing soda in water. Add one pound of quicklime to every five gallons of mixture, and stir until the whole is thoroughly dissolved. Apply to the trunk with a paint brush." Burn all dead trees. Leaf -scald Fungous (Entomosporium maculatum). — This fungus attacks the young leaves of pears, apples, peaches, cherries, plums, and roses, in the form of red spots, which afterwards change to brown, causing them to wither and fall off. In bad attacks the tree or plant is frequently defoliated early in the season. Kemedies. — (1) Spray with a dilute solution of Bordeaux Mixture (Formulae Nos. 20 or 21) just as the leaves begin to expand, repeating the application a week or so later. (2) Gather and burn all infected leaves. !^ /- GARDEN FOES. CHAPTER II. APRICOT AND CHERRY PESTS. A INSECTS. Apricot Moth (]3oto(les angustioraiia).— The larvae of tliis small moth fee%'ith the larva iiijeide. gained its popular name of " Clearwing." Towards the end of June and the first w^eeks of July the female moth deposits her eggs singly upon the stems and in close proximity to the buds. In a few days the tiny larv?e hatch out, and at once proceed to gnaw their way down through the bud into the centre of the stem. Here they excavate a considerable gallery, feeding on the pith CURRANT AND GOOSEBERRY PESTS. 97 throughout the summer and autumn, and enlarging the size of their tunnel home both in length and breadth as they increase in size. Just before changing to a chrysalis the larva excavates a passage nearly through the stem, only leaving the thin outer skin unbroken to protect the puj^a from harm. Early in the following June the pupa pushes itself against this skin, so as to rupture it, and then, jerking uself half-way out of the newly-formed opening, rests for awhile. In a short time the skin of the chrysalis cracks and the perfect insect emerges, dries, expands its wings, and flies off. The larva when full grown measures barely half an inch in length ; its body is a pale yellowish tint, with the head a light chestnut colour, and the jaws slightly darker. It has sixteen feet — i.e., three pairs of claw-feet, four pairs of sucker feet beneath the body, and one pair of sucker feet beneath the tail. ItEMEDiES. — In detecting the presence of this pest in its larval stage the fading condition of the leafage will be a pretty obvious guide. Everj^ infested shoot should be cut off well below the bottom of the tunnel, so as to ensure having cut away the larvjie, and at once burnt. If the infested shoots are not at once burnt, but only cut off and thrown on one side, the larvi^e are pretty sure to com- plete their metamorphosis, and appear again in due course. Currant Pug Moth (Eupithecia assimilata).— The larvjTE- of this moth feed upon the foliage of the currant. The moth is small, of a blackish-brown colour, marked with a grey line. It appears in May and June. The larvae are yellowish-green in colour, with a line of darker green on the back and down each side. They are most active in late summer and early autumn. Kemedy. — Spray in autumn with Formula No. 10. Currant Shoot Moth (Incurvaria capitella).— The larvae of this moth have been found to injure the young shoots of currant trees by boring into and feeding upon H 9S GARDEN FOES. their pith. It appears that the female lays its eggs upon the fruit of the eurrant, and that the young caterpillar feeds, in its earlier stages, upon the seed in the fruit. In a short time it quits the fruit and seeks the base of the buds on the shoots, there burying and hiding itself in a small cocoon to pass the winter. The following spring the cateri)illar comes out of its cocoon, and then inune- diately starts and bores its way into, and feeds upon, tlie pith of the shoot. As a result the foliage begins to wither, and the shoot to die. Kemedie^!. — Wherever the shoots are found to be wither- ing in the spring they should be cut off and promptly burnt. Practically, this is really the only remedy that can be adopted, as, owing to the caterpillars feeding inside the shoots, it is difficult to reach them by means of an insecticide. Dot Moth (Mamestra persicarine). — In some seasons fi'uit trees are apt to be infested with the larviTt> of the J)ot Moth. When very prevalent this pest is very vora- cious, devouring the foliage to an alarming extent. It does not confine its attention to gooseberries alone ; it is also very partial to the currant and raspberry. The cater- ])illars vary a good deal in colour. They have pale green or brown bodies, bordered on each side by a white line, a)ilack, red, and white ciuTant, and gooseberry. The scaly- hke coverings are merely shelters for the insects within. The female first lays a large number of very fine eggs. In due course these eggs give birth to oval maggots, which at firet move about until they have found a suitable position GOUSEBERRY SCALE (LECANIUM PERSIC.E SAROTHAMNI). Upper figure represents the female and the lower one a tide view of tlie fcaly covering which shelters the young insects. on the branch. Then they settle down, insert their beak firmly into the bark, and there remain permanently during their short life. As each female lays such a multitude of eggs, it will be apparent that in a very short time there will be hundreds and thousands of these pests distributed all over the shoots of the tree. They pierce the bark and h2 ICO GARDEN FOES. extract the sap from the cellis, thus wouiKliiig the tissues, and preventing the plant carrying on its proper functions. There are two broods in a year. Eembuies. — Spraying the fohage tlioroughly with Caustic AlkaU Washes (Nos. 1 or 8) in winter. All infested prunings should be promptly burnt. Dusting quicklime among the branches in winter, while moist, will likewise help to destroy these pests. See also remedies advised for Mussel Scale, on p. 71. Gooseberry Red Spider (Bryobia ribis).— This is a small mite, or form of red spider, which in very hot and dry seasons infests the leaves of the gooseberry to a very serious extent. Like the ordinary Red Spider of the garden and greenhouse, it dislikes moisture and cold; con- sequently, as already intimated, it is not likely to be very numerous or destructive, except in dry, hot seasorus. The mite can hardly be seen individually by the naked eye, but its presence may be easily detected on the foliage of the gooseberry by the pale colour, and by the fact of the surface being dotted with minute reddish spots, covered by a very thin silken web. On examining the foliage with a magnifying glass the web will be clearly seen, and underneath it the colony of mites. These mites puncture the epidermis of the leaf and extract the sap. They in- crease very rapidly; so much so that hundreds and thou- sands may be found upon a single leaf. Kembdies. — Directly these pests are found infesting the leaves of the gooseberry the trees should at once be sprayed with a Kerosene Emulsion (No. 16). One spray- ing may not be sufficient, so repeat the operation until all traces of the pest have disappeared. Gooseberry Sawfly (Nematus ribesii). — Though called the Gooseberry Sawfly this pest is also very partial to the fohage of the red currant. The perfect insect ap- pears late in April or early in May. It measures about one-third of an inch in length, has a dark-coloured head CURRANT AND GOOSEBERRY PESTS. 101 and thorax, yellowisli legs, black feet, and a yellowish body. The female lays her eggs by the sides of the ribs iniderneath the leaves, and the larvoe hatch in about eight days. At fii"st they are white with a few black spots and a black head. Later their colour changes to green, and finally light green with a yellow head. In about twenty days the larvae enter the pupa? stage. Usuallj^ there are GOOSEBBRRT AND CURRANT SAWFLY (NEMATIS RIBESII). AlK>ve is the S'lawfly wifh. line<3 below to indicate its size. Below are the larva, feeding" en a leaf, with a cocoon at the side. from two to three broods of sawflies in a season. The larvae feed on the soft tissues of the leaves, and generally leave nothing but the mid-ribs. They are very voracious, and if allowed to multiply unchecked will soon destroy a vast amount of foliage. Kemedies. — (1) Directly the caterpillars are discovered spray the foliage with Formula No. 16. One or two spray- 1C2 GARDEN FOES. ings may be required. (2) In autumn forJv freely into the isoil Apterite, Kilogrub, or Vaporite, to asphyxrate the pup:u. Magpie Moth (Abraxas groesuhu'iata).^ — Much injury is done in some seasons to the foHage of gooiseberry, cur rant, and other trees by the larviK of this moth. The moth itself is a very pretty one, and may easily be recognised. A^^n 1 l^^yH^ 1 ^^ ' " '^'"'^^■^'^^^^^t^s^i^SIJl^^^^^^^^^^'^''^ A.<;.'56ft. i [I'lioto: .1. G. Blakvy CATERPILLAKS AND VUPA OF MAGPIE MOTH. The three larse in&ect« are the Inrvn?. and the niu' shown to the ri^lit i>s t It has a yellowish body, and white wings spotted with black. It generally makes its appeai-ance late in summer, and lays its eggs near the mid-ribs in groups of three or four, or singly, upon gooseberry or currant leaves. In ten days or so caterpillars are hatched, and these at once commence to feed voraciously upon the soft tissues of the foliage. The caterpillar is about one and a-quarter inches long and very prettily mai'ked, with a band of dark orange extend- CURRANT AND GOOSEBERRY DISEASES. 103 iiig from its head to its tail. On each iside below this there is a row of black spots, with two black strijjes underneath the body. In the autumn the larvye spin leaves together, or drop to the ground and remain just under its surface till the following spring, when they ascend the trees and immediately start to again feed upon the foliage. They are fully fed by June, then enter into the pupal stage and emerge as moths in August. Remedies. — As soon as the caterpillars are observed in spring, spray with Formula 10 or 16. Repeat the spray- ing .again in September. In autumn fork Apterite, Kilo- grub, or Vaporite freely into the soil to kill the hibernat- ing larvie. White Woolly Currant Scale (Pulvinaria ribesi^e). — These insects infest the shoots of both black and red currants. They exude a cottony or woolly matter, which entirely covers their bodies, so that the insects themselves can scarcely be discerned. The young scales are whitish or orange in colour, and of a flattened, oval shape. Like other scale insects, they are furnished with a proboscis, by means of which they pierce the shoots and suck the sap, and consequently do much harm to the trees. Remedies. — Spray in February with Formulae Nos. 1 or 8. Other Pests. — The gooseberry is also attacked by the Winter Moth, Gooseben-y Aphis, Grey Slug, and Leaf Weevils; and the roots of currants, by the Woolly Aphis, or American Blight. See index. B DISEASES. American Gooseberry Mildew (Sphaerotheca moi-s-uvic). — This disease has caused a good deal of sen- sation in the fruit-growing and mycological world during the last year or so, and has been instrumental in inducing the Government to pass a special Act of Parliament to enable the Board of Agriculture to deal with and stamp it out in this country. The disease is of American origin. 104 GARDEN FOES. and the discovery of its appearance in England was largely, if not wholly, due to Mr. E. S. Salmon, F.L.S., AMERICAN GOOSEBERRY MILDEW. Showinpr a briiiicli badly attacked by this di.sea.se. (From Iri.sb Boiird of Agriculture Leaflet.) mycologist to the Wye Agricultural College, Kent. It is quite distinct from the ordinary Gooseberry Mildew, CURRANT AND GOOSEBERRY DISEASES. 105 and first appears as a delicate white mildew on the ex- panding leaf buds, extending later to the young wood and fruit. Later, about May, says the Board of Agricul- ture Leaflet, it becomes visible on the fruit in the form of "glistening, frcst-like sj)ots " on the lower and shady part of the bush, then spreads to the leaves and tender GALLS ox GOQ-KBEHRY SHOOT.S. ,Mr. F. V. Theobald informs that the nodules or excre&cences often eeen on gooseberry shoots, ae seen in above illustration, are not due to ineect atitack or dieea&e, but to sappre GARDEN FOES. CHAPTER VIL PEAR PESTS. A INSECTS. Pear-Leaf Blister Mite (Eriophyes pyri).— Tlu^ leaves of pear trees are sometimes covered with blister- like spots, slightly raised upon the upper and uniler sur- facers. These spots are red or green in the earlier stages of their formation, and black or brown later on. To dis- tinguish between these blisters and the scabs formed by the Pear Scab fungus cut one of the blisters open and examine it with a magm'fying-glass. If within are seen a number of tsmall mites, then it may be taken for granted that the leaf is infested with the Pear-leaf Blister Mite. The mites live within the scales of the leaf-buds during the winter; early in spring they come forth, puncture the epidermis of the leaves, and deposit within their eggs. When the young are hatched they come forth, pierce the epidermis, and lay more eggs; and so the pi'ocess goes on of egg-laying and covering the entire surface of the leaves with minute galls. IIemedies. — Spraying the })ear trees in February with Eormuhr Nos. 1 or 8 is one of the best remedies, as this will destroy the mites ensconced in the scalcts of the buds, and prevent them coming forth in the spring and depositing their eggs in the leaves. Fallen leaves should, as far as possible, be raked up and burnt. Pear-Leaf Blister Moth (Cemiostoma scitella). — A minute moth, the parent of small pale-green caterpillars, which feed on the soft tissues of the leaves of pear«, apples, and cherries during summea', and cause dark brown PEAR PESTS. 117 blisters io form, which hinder the development of the tree. There are two broods, one appearing in June and July and the other in autumn, EEMEniES. — (1) Spray the fohage in June with Soft Soap and Quassia (No. 14) or a Kerosene Emulsion (No. 16), to prevent the moth laying its eggs. Piepeat in Septem- ber. (2) Spray with Paiis Green (No. 11) directly the blossoms fall. (3) Gather up and burn all fallen leaves. [1 hoto: H. A. Miiith. PEAR J.1:a\i..- AllACKED BY THE BLISTER MITE. The leaves have been badly blistered by the Pear-leaf Blister Mite (Eriophyes pyri). (4) Dresis the soil with Apterite, Kilogrub, or Yaporite in autumn. Pear Midg^e (I)iplosis pyrivora). — This insect is the cause of the formation of distorted fruits wdien in an early stage of development. The fly measures one-tenth of an inch in length, has a blackish-grey body covered with yellow or white hairs, and grey wings. The female is larger than the male. She is provided with a long tube, 118 GARDEN FOES; or ovipcfcsitor, which she uses for depofsiting the eggs. She appears in April or May, and lays her long, transparent white eggs in the opened or unopened blosisoms. In six days the eggs hatch, and the small yellowish-white, brown-headed larvae at once commence to feed on the embrj^o fruit, each of which contains a score and upwards of the maggots. By June most of the larvne are fully developed, and the}^ either make their escape from the fruit still on the branches or when it has fallen to the ground, and then burrow an inch or so into the soil and form silk cocoons. The larvae are said to jump from the fruit to the ground. Some of the larvae do not pupate till the following spring, while otheits do so almost at once. Unfortunately, it is not j^ossible to detect the presence of the maggots in the embryo fruit at first. It is not till later that the unequal development of the fruit indicates their presence. If a fruit be then cut open the interior will be found hollow^ and black, and full of the maggots. Crenerally, infested fruits begin to swell much earlier than those not attacked. Remedies. — In the case of dwarf trees every abnormally- devek)ped fruit should be picked off and burnt. If fallen fruits are found on the ground, and these contain maggots, burn them at once. Where trees have been badly attacked the previous season, and there are evident signs of the crop again being attacked, it is advised that the trees should be sprayed with Arsenate of Lead (No. 10), so as to kill the fruit and starve the larvae. Dress- ing arable or pastural orchards with kainit at the rate of five to ten cwts. per acre early in June, wheii the larvae are beginning to fall from the fruits, is also strongly re commended. Forking Strawson's Vaporite, or Apterite or Kilogrub, into the soil at the rate of one ounce per square yard early in June is said to kill the midges as they emerge from the earth. Social Pear Sawfly (Pamphilus flaviventris). — The larvae of this Sawfly spin webs on the foliage of the pear, PEAR PESTS. 119 plum, and cherry trees, and live in communities therein. They measure about half an inch to an inch in length, and are of a reddish or a reddish-orange colour, smooth shin- ing, and somewhat cylindrical in shape. The female Saw- fly lays her eggs on the inside of the pear leaves, towards the end of May. The caterpillars hatch out in a few days, PEAR MIDGE (DIPLOSIS A, the Midge or Gnat with line below to indicate grub with line to show its natural length; 0. chrysalis PTRIYORA). ts natural size; B, the and then start to spin the web, already described, round and over the foliage, and, secure in this habitation, com- mence to devour the leaves. When fully grown they let themselves down to the ground, boring into the earth some four inches or more deep, and then enter into the pupal state. Here they remain until the following April or May, then emerge as Sawflies. Eemedies.— As it is very difficult to reach the larvae ensconced within the webs by means of insecticides, the best plan is to pull off all the webs and contents by night and immediately destroy them. Where this cannot be PEAR PESTS. 121 f^loiie, spra}' the infeisted trees thoroughly with a Kerosene (No. lOj or Paris Green (No. 11) Sohition. Vapourer Mcth (Orgyia anti(iua).— Caterpillars of this moth feed extensively on the foliage of the apple and ])t'ar. Thej' are easily distinguished from other cater- ])illari3 by their gay appearance. The adult larva measures one and a-quarter to two inches long when full grown. It VArOUEER MOTH (ORGYIA ANTIQUA). Ui)per figure, male moth; middle one, wingkss female; lower one, caterpillar, with group of egge on the left. is dark grey in colour, and spotted with small grey tubercleis. On its back are four large brownish hairs. When the caterpillars are fully developed they pupate in the remains of leaves or on the stems or shoots of the trees in which they have been feeding. They remain in the pupal stage about a fortnight, then appear as perfect moths. 122 GARDEN FOES. Kemedies. — (1) Sjjray the foliage with Paris Green (No. 11), or Quassia, or Kerosene Emulsions (No. 16), when the caterpillars are seen. (2) A careful search also should be made among the branches for the cocoons, and these ishould be cut of! and destroyed. Note. — See also the chapter on "Apple Pests." Other Pests.— The larvie of the Large Tortoiseshell, Wood Leopard, Goat, Lackey, Winter, Mottled Umber, BAD1.Y-0KACKKD [Photo: H. A. Smith, 'EARS. The fniit in ; the result that la oarii<=r .stage was attacked by the Tear Scab Fiinij;ii.s, with ov. it Ijfrauie badly cracked. and Codling Moths; Fruit Bark Beetle, Apple Blossom Weevil, Leaf Weevils, Ap])le Sawtly, Apple Aphis, and Mussel Scale also iniVst the pear. See "Apple Pests." B DISEASES. Pear-Leaf Blister (Exoascus buUatus). -The bhsters or rswoUen lumps sometimes formed on pear leaves are caused by a fungus. At first they are green, then become PLUM PESTS. 123 more or less brown, and finally whitish. The blisters will be found on the under surface. PtEMEDY. — Sprajdng the foliage with Bordeaux Mixture (Formulae 20 or 21) in the early stages of its growth will prevent the disease spreading. Gather and burn all fallen leaves when possible. Pear.leaf Cluster Cups (Roestelia caneellata).— A fungus of a parasitical nature, which produces rugged swellings on the leaves of the pear. The fungi seen on the upper sides are flask-shaped, pale brown, and pro- duced in clusters. On the opposite side are orange or reddish spots containing black dots. Remedy. — Pick off and burn the infected leaves. The disease is not of a serious natiu'e. Pear Scab (Fusicladium pirinum). — There seems to be a doubt in the minds of some mycologists as to whether this fungus is not the same as that which pro- duces the Apple Scab. Anyway, it produces similar results on the fruit of the pear, and the same precautions and remedies should be adopted to guard against its attacking pear leaves and fruit. CHAPTER VIII. PLUM PESTS. A INSECTS. Plum Aphides. — The Plum Aphis (Aphis pruni) and the Clearwing Aphis (Hyalopterus pruni) are both inju- rious to the foliage of the plum and damson. The former are green or olive-brown in colour, and covered with a mealy powder. The latter are bluish-green, and also covered with mealy powder. Both infest the young 124 GARDEN FOES. slioots and leaves, and cause them to curl. If allowed to iiu-reaRe tliey seriously eri])ple the growth of the tree and spoil the fruit. liEMEDiEs. — (1) l)ii'('etly :in inlcstation is 46 GARDEN FOES. Rust.— Thiis is generally caused by some check to the bellies when they are quite small and tender. Putting on a lot of ventilation when the house has become very hot will cause it. Syringing the lYipes when they are very hot, and causing a large volume of hot steam, will also promote the development of rust. Putting sulphur on the pipes and making them hot when the berries are quite small will have the same effect. Kemedies. — There is no cure for rust, but it can be pre- vented by abstaining from doing such things as mentioned above. Shanking^. — Shanking is generally caused from the lack of sufficient food to supply the demand made upon the plant by the crop. This lack of food may be from one of several causes. It is very often the result of over- cropping of either the year in w^hich it is seen or some previous year; a bad attack of either Eed Spider or Mil- dew, which robs the leaves of nutriment, and prevents them carrying on their work; a wet, cold subsoil, or one that has too much animal manure in the border, causing late autumn growth, the roots afterwards dying back dur- ing winter. If the borders are properly made and kept regularly mulched, so that the roots are near the surface, shanking will not take place from this cause. PiEMEDiES. — Lifting the roots and bringing them near the surface, as advised in renovating old vines, will remedy the evil if the roots are at fault. This disease causes the berries and stalks to shrivel instead of developing, and is easily recognised. Thrips. — There are few^ insects more destructive than thri])s. The one which attacks grape vines is Helio- thrips hannorrhoidalis, a dark brown, four - winged insect, with a reddish - tipped body, pale yellow e^^es and limbs, and measuring l-20in. in length. It is wonderfully agile in its habits, jumping away dJ-ectlv the leaf it is on is touched. The larvae — VINE DISEASES. 147 email whitish or yellowiish maggots — are also fairly active, but they cannot jump. Both feed on the surfaces of the leaves and shoots, sucking out the juices, and causing them to assume a yellowish tinge and die. Not only do they injure the leaves, but also the young shoots and flowers. They are especially destructive to the young and tender foliage of vines. As a rule, they never get very numerous in vineries that have a fairly moist atmosphere. Remedies. — Sponging or spraying the foliage with an insecticide, or fumigation with a nicotine preparation on three successive evenings generally proves successful. Vine Louse (Phylloxera vastatrix). — This is very inju- rious to the vineyards on the Continent, and has also done a great deal of damage in some places in England, attack- ing both leaves and roots. When the leaves are attacked they have a warty appearance, and the roots become covered with knots. PiEMEDiEs. — The only sui'e remedy is to burn the vines and roots, thoroughly clean the house with paraffin emul- sion, and paint all the woodwork; then take all the soil out of the border and make a new one. This disease must be notified to the Board of Agriculture. See Chapter V., Part YII. Warts on the Leaves — Warts, when they are ex- tensive, intt?rfere with the functions of the leaves, but slight cases of wartiness are not very harmful. It is fre- quently caused by a check, such as ventilating too freely when the house is very hot, improper removal of foliage, etc. B DISEASES. Black Rot of Grape Vine (Guignardia Bidwelhi).— This disease is not very common in Britain, but still it is just as well that readers should be acquainted with its life history, and the best way of coping with it. The general appearance produced by the disease is well L 2 148 GARDEN FOES. iiiarked, and wlirii once seen is not lilvely to be. conloiiiKlril with any other form of fungous attack. The young leaves, and especially those low down on the vine, are usually the first to show the symptoms, which appear under the form of irregularly-shaped brown blotches, half to one inch across, looking like the effects of sun scald, for which they might easily be mistaken but for the presence of numerous minute black points scattered over the surface of the diseased patches, which correspond to the fruiting GRAPES INFECTED WITH " Bf.'VCK ROT'' FUNGUS. organs of the fungus, which can be clearly seen under a magnifying glass. Three or four different kinds of spore ls or reproductive bodies, are produced by the fungus, each of which is capable of infecting and causing the disease on any leaf or fruit on which it may happen to be depo- sited, providing the surface be damp ; the spores cannot germinate on a dry surface. As a rule, about a month after the disease ha« appeared on the foliaufe the fruit is attacked. Blotches of variable VINE DISEASES. 149 size appear on the grapes, and after a few days these blotches are studded with minute blackish warts — the fruit of the fungus. Within a short period of time the diseased grapes become dry and much shrivelled, but remain han^inf? for a considerable time. During the TINE LEAF SHOWING 'BLACK ROT' FFNGUS. winter numerous minute black sclerotia, or hardened masses of fungus mycelium, form in the skin of the fruit, and in the following spring, about the time when the leaves are unfolding, these sclerotia produce two distinct kinds of fruit, either of which is capable of infecting the young leaves, thuts producing a repetition of the disease. 150 GARDEN FOES. The I'laigLis can only spread to any extent when the temperature i'S fairly high, and the air contains a consider- able quantity of moisture. In this country, where vines are grown under glass, those conditions most favourable for the development and rapid diffusion of the fungus are constantly present, and great care must be exercised in the matter of ventilation, so as to avoid an undue deposi- rOWDEUV MILDEW OF THE Vl.NE. tion of moisture on the surface of leaves or fruit; and, furthermore, ventilation must be so effected that the fruit is quite dry before being exposed to sunlight, otherwise rusting of the grapes is apt to occur, a feature bad enough in itself, and in addition greatly favouring the spread of the disease. VINE DISEASES. 151 Remedies. — If the disease be present, spraying with dihite Bordeaux Mixture (Formula No. 21) is the best that can be done ; apphcation should be made at intervals of ten days until the grapes are the size of peas, when Bordeaux Mixture should be replaced by an ammoniacal solution of carbonate of copper (Formula No. 22), which will not spot and disfigure the fruit. Diseased leaves and fruit should be collected and burned, and it is very important that such diseased por- tions, should not be allowed to fall and remain through the winter on the ground or in neglected cornere, otherwise the sclerotia present in the tissues will produce spores the following spring and infect the young growth. Downy or False Mildew (Plasmopara viticola).— This fungoid disease is of American origin, and " makes its appearance," says Dr. W. G. Smith in his " Diseases of Plants " (Longmans and Co.), " in early summer s/& white patches on the under surfaces of the leaves, some- times also on the stalks and fruit. In the course of the summer the leaves show brown spots, and dry up." It seems that the disease is most prevalent in moitst weather, and hence it naturally follows that vineries which are not properly ventilated will provide suitable conditions for the development of the fungus. Eemedie!-'. — Spray the foliage, as soon as the berries have formed, every ten daj^ wdth the Ammoniacal Solution of Carbonate of Copper (Formula No. 22), or with the Wobum Bordeaux Emulsion (Formula No. 21). These remedies must not be applied after the berries begin to colour. Mildew (Uncinula spiralis). — Vines grown under glass and in the open air are often attacked by a form of mildew peculiar to the vine, and as grape growers ought to be able to recognise the fungus in order to deal promptly with it, v/e give full details of its life history, with the best remedies for its eradication. If allowed to 152 GARDEN FOES. in<] bi'i-ric's it is liable to do develop on the shoots, leaveis serious injury to them. The mildew appeal's on the surfaee of the leaves, etc., in the form of a greyish-white powder. The powdery appearance is due to the presence of myriads of minute summer spores, which are produced in enormous quanti- ties, and in quick succession throughout the summer YINK LEiAF MILDEW. Showing patches of iiiildew, or summer fruit of Plaemoiiara viticola. on it^ unckr surface; natural size months, and accumulate on the mildewed patches until removed by wind or rain, and such of those as happen to ahght on the damp surface of a vine leaf germinate quickly, and soon produce a patch of mildew. The spores are oval, and are formed in chains, the uppermost spores of the chain becoming free and falling away as soon as they are ripe, young spores being at the same time VINE DISEASES, 153 developed at the bottom of tlie row or chain. The mildew develops ou the upper surface of the leaves, young shootis, and fruit. During the autumn thesiinimsr form of fruit ceases to be produced, and in its place minute balls, at first yellowish, and afterwards blackish brown, appear in con- siderable numbers on the mycelium still present on the [Photo: H. A. Smith. BUNCH OF GRAPB3 INFECTED WITH MILDEW. leaves, shoots, and fruit. These minute balls, smaller than the head of a small pin, represent the winter form of fruit, containing spores in their interior. Examined under a microscope, these winter fruits are very beautiful, being provided with a circle of delicate spreading spines, each of which is more or less curled at the tip. These winter fruits remain unchanged until the following spring. 154 GARDEN FOES. when the spores escape and inoeidate the young leaves and shoots, giving origin to the summer form of fruit. Kemedie?^. — In the matter of applying fungicides it is all-important to remember that no one mixture, however valuable, can be looked upon as a preventive or cure for all known fungoid diseases. Flowers of sulphur is very effective against vine mildew. Special bellow^s should be used to secure a thin and even dusting of the substance on the leaves, shoots, and flowers. The fiDst application should be made when the leaves are just full grown, and a second when in full bloom. A third application should be made about a month later if the disease is not stamped out. The most certain result is obtained with the tempera- ture ranging from 80 deg. to 100 deg. Fahr. Excellent results also follow spraying with a solution of potassium sulphide (Formula No. 23). This preparation is cheap, and can be effectively applied with any form of sprayer, and, being perfectly colourless, leaves no mark on the plant. The times for application are the same as for dowers of sulphur. Shoots that are attacked should be removed and burned, as the winter fruit is not destroyed by the fungi- cides mentioned. Fruit should also be promptly removed when it shows indications of the disease, as it cannot pos- sibly be of any value, and may serve to spread the disease if allowed to remain on the vine. Finally, scrupulous care in collectmg and burning fallen leaves and fruit that are diseased must be attended to, otherwise a single shrivelled berry or fragment of a leaf hiding in some crevice may be the means of introducing the pest the following season. Part III.-VEGETABLE FOES. CllAPiKH 1. INSECTS, ETC, Asparagrus Beetle (Crioceris asparagi).— This is a most (lestiuc'tive insect pe'.-t. The beetle is about the Gize of a rather small house fi v ; it is red and yellow, with black spots and black legs. The beetles may often be seen about the beds while the asparagus is being cut, and every one should be killed. They somewhat resemble the ladybird in colour, but are longer and not so wide. One beetle will lay hundreds of eggs on the stems and leaves in late spring; the eggs hatch out in a few days, and the larv?e commence eating the leaves, leaving nothing but bare stems. When plants are badly infested no good asparagus will be produced from the crowns the following year. Remedies. — The best way of destroying the larva' is to poison the leaves they are eating. This may be accom- plished by spraying the foliage with Formula 10. In autumn lightly fork into the bed one of the soil fumigants, as Apterite, Cliffs Powder Insecticide, Kilogrub, or Yapo- rite, to asphyxiate the pupa?. Bean Aphis, or Dolphin Fly (Aphis fabae). — Besides the names given above, this pest is also known 150 GARDEN FOES. as the "Collier," "Black Fly," and "Black Dolphin." It belongs to the Greenfly family, but we deal with it sepa- rately because of its great importance. The young Aphides ASPAllAGlS BE,BTLR AND LARVA. are slatey-grey in coloiu% and the female and male of a blackish hue. The Aphides will be found swarming in clusters on the ])()ints of the ishootis, and, if uimiolested, IJKAN A THIS (APHIS FAB.E), A, nialo, aiul B itniale aphis; natural size and ning:iiifio(l. will spt'i'dily cover them with a sticky juice, filthy to handle, and decidedly detrimental to the ])lant. The A})hi(les increase very rapidly, and will soon ).— This is the parent of small vcllowii-^h-white or greenish maggots which feed on the pulp or inner tiissues of the leaves of beet and mangold. The leaves, in consequence, shrivel, and the growth of the plant becomes severely checked. The i\y lays its white eggs on the under sidets of the leaves. In due coulee maggots are hatched, which pour tlirough the outer skin, and devour the pulp. When fully grown the maggots escape, bury themselves in the soil, and eventually develop into flies. Remedies. — The best remedy ii.> a preventive one, namely, to encourage the plants to grow sufficiently vigo- rous to resist the attack of the maggots. Keeping the soil well stirred disturbs the flies, and prevents them laying their eggs. A dressing of one of the above soil fumigants before sowing will prevent a future attack of this pest. Blue Cabbag-e Flea (Haltica consobrina).— This is a tiny violet-coloured beetle, the parent of a small six- legged maggot which forms tunnels in the tissues of cab- bage and turnip leaves. The maggots feed on the soft tissues, and do much injury to the leaves when young. Remedies. — The main point to observe is to encourage the crops to grow freel}^ in their earlier stages, by using artificial or liquid manures. Liberal liming in February and using the hoe freely in summer will help to reduce these pests. Pick ofi the worst infested leaves and burn them. Cabbagre Aphis (Aphis brassicae).— This ])i'st is a relative of the Common Greenfly, and attacks tlic under sides and folds of the leaves of cabbage, kale, l^russels sprouts — in fact, all members of the cabbage tribe. It injures the foliage by sucking the sap, and in due course causing it to become deformed and sickly. The aphides are the mcst prevalent in summer, and particularly so in dry seasons. The insects are of a yellowish colour when young. Later the females assume a greenish tint, and are covered with meal. INSECTS, ETC. 59 Kemedie.s. — rroinpt measure's should be taken to get rid of the aphides when first discovered. The best remedy is to spray the foHage with "Abol " Wash or Formuhi 16. Cabbag-e Fly (Anthomyia brassicae). — The larvse of this fly and of an allied species, A. radicum, attack the CABBAGE APHIS (APHIS BRASSIC^). Fia-. 1, Mile apliip, uat. size; 2 Ditto, magnified; .3 Female aphis, nat. fize; 4 Ditto 11 ag.iilied. lower part of the stems of cabbages and allied crops, eat- ing their way into the tissues, causing the stem to decay and the plant to die. Plants infested with the larvae have leavers of a leaden hue that readily droop when the sun CABBAGE FLY AaD LARV.E MAGNIFIK]). shines on them; also the base of the stem and the roots are furnished with swollen lumps, within which are tJie maj^gots. The latter are about one-third of an inch in The fly lays its eggs low down length, white, and legless. 160 GARDEN FOES. on the stems of tlie plant, and the maggots appear a fort- night afterwards. Remedies. — Pull up and burn all plants that show signs of attack by drooping. As a preventive, apply a dressing of Apterite, Cliffs Powder Insecticide, Kilogrub, or Vapo- rite, digging this well into the soil before planting. The gas emitted will asphyxiate the pupa?, and prevent them developing into flies later on. Cabbag^e Powdered-wing: Fly (Aleyrodes pro- letella). — This fly attacks all the members of the cabbage OARROr FLY AND LARVA. References: 1, Root infeefxl with maggots; 2, Maggots in root; 4 and 6, Larva;; 7 and 8, Pupae; 9 and 11, Fly. family by congregating on the under sides of the leaves and sucking out the sap from the cells. Plants attacked turn yellow or brown in their foliage. The young insects are covered with small scales, and adhere firmly to the leaf. When they reach maturity they have white wings, .and float in the air like tiny snowflakes. Remedies. — The best remedy is to remove the leaves containing the young insects and burn them. Where the insects can be readily reached spray with the solution advised for Cabbage Aphis. Carrot Fly (Psila rosa?). — The maggot or grub of this fly is respoi)sil)le for the form:iti(Mi of the rusty patches on INSECTS, ETC 161 the roots of carrots. The flies, which are small, lay their eggs on the roots of the carrots in early summer. When hatched the maggots at once bore into the soft parts of the roots, form cavities, and generally disfigure the roots. The maggots are yellowish- white, shiny, and a quarter of an inch long. Carrots attacked by this pest have pale foliage and a stunted growth. Remedies. — To guard against a possible attack give the soil a dressing of Apterite, Cliffs Powder Insecticide, Kilogrub, or Vaporite before sowing the seed, in order to destroy the pupie, and prevent them developing into flies. SMALL AND LARGE WHITE OABBAGE BUTTERFLY. a, Cat'erpillar; b, Chrysalis; c, Butterfly. If one of the above be used there will be no trouble with the Carrot Fly grub. Caterpillars. — Quite a number of larv?e of moths and butterflies infest vegetable crops, many of them doing serious injui'y if not promptly dealt with. Thus the larva? of three kinds of butterflies— the Large White (Pieris brassicse), Small White (Pieris rapse), and the Green- veined (Pieris napi) feed on vegetables of the cabbage 162 GARDEN FOES. iaiiiily. The larva' are yellowish, niarkecl with yellow stripes and dark dots, and ap^jear in summer. Then there are the larva' of the Cabbage Moth (Mamestra brassicae), which attack similar crops. These are first of a greenish tint, changing later to a darker one, and appearing largel}^ in late summer and autumn. The flowers and seeds of :^ GHOST Oil OTTER MOTH (HEPIALl'S HUMUTl). The iipi>er figure is tho female and the lower, the male moths. Next the larva and then the pupa. the carrot are also attacked by the small brownish-grey, dark-spined, hairy larvne of the Carrot- Seed Moth (Depres- saria depressella). The green larv?e of the Common Flat-Body Moth (Depressaria applana) feed upon the leaflets of the carrot and parsnip. The Dart Moth (Agrotis segetum) caterpillars feed on the roots and leaves of the INSECTS, ETC. 163 turnip by night, and hide in the soil by day. They are active in autumn and winter. The Diamond Black Moth (Plutella cruciferarum) larvae, with greenish bodies and yellow heads, do immense injury in some seasons to the foliage of turnips. The larvae of the Garden Pebble Moth (Pionae forficalis), yellowish-green, -devour the leaves of cabbages and turnips in summer and autumn ; the creamy- white and spiny larva? of the Ghost Moth (He])iahisbuniu"i) feed on the roots of lettuce in autumn and winter; and [Photo: J. G. Ulakcy. EGG -3 OF THE CABBAGE MOTH (MAME^TRA BRASSIC.E). The eggs, which are largely magnified, are laid on the under side of the leaf. the reddish-brown tuberculed Caterpillars feed on the leaves of vegetables by night and hide in the soil by day. Then there are the larvae of the Yellow Underwing Moth (Triphaena pronuba), a greenish-brown Caterpillar striped with rose, brown, and black, which feeds by night and hides in the soil by day. This pest attacks the stems of young cabbage-s, lettuces, etc., causing the plants to wither and die. M 2 164 GARDEN FOES. Eemedies. — Hiiiul-i)icking in tlie caise of those larvjie that feed on the f'oHage hy day is the mcst effectual remedy. Syringing with quassia and soft soap (Formuh^ 14) would also be efficacious if applied before the larva^ have ad- vanced far in size. In the case of those larva' that inhabit the soil, dresisingfs. of Apterite, Kilogrub, or Yaporite dug well in would suffocate most of them. In any case, apply a soil fumigant in autumn to destroy any pupa present. CELE1{Y FLY AND MAGGOT. The maggot can be seen in the leaf. Frecjuent hoeing of the soil to harass and worry the pests would bo advit^able also. Celery Fly (Tephritis onopordinus).— This insect attacks the leaves of parsnips, celery, and parsley. The fly is about one-sixth of an inch long, of a brown colour, with two transparent wings and green eyes. The female deposits her eggs within the skin of the celery leaves, where they INSECTS, ETC 165 are hatched, producing small green larvit, which cause large blisters upon the leaves. These larvae, or maggots, cause complete or rapid decay of the foliage. The brown pupae of this fly are found on the leaves of the host plant and in the earth; as a rule, the maggots leave the host plant and turn to pupae in the earth. There are several broods during the year, but the pup^3e last produced hiber- nate in the soil until the following spring, when they appear as perfect insects and renew the attack. Eemedibs. — Owing to the maggots feeding within the leaves, it is difficult to apply any insecticide that will reach them without at the same time destroying the foliage. Picking off the portion of leaf infested, and burn- ing the collected portions, is the only remedy once the maggots are in the leaves. The flies may, however, be prevented depositing their eggs by spraying the foliage occasionally with the following preparation: Mix half a gallon of tar with a gallon of water, and place this on a fire till it boils. When cool add fifty gallons of water, and then spray the foliage thoroughly with it. Another good plan is to pour as much paraffin oil on a piece of l)rick as it will absorb, then steep this for a day or two in three gallons of water. Kemove any scum that forms, then spray the foliage. Spraying should be done dvu-ing May, June, and July. Before preparing the trenches dress the ground with one of the soil fumigants previously described, to destroy the pupae and prevent them develop- ing into flies. Celery-Stem Fly (Piophila apii). — The fly is some- what similar in size and form to the Celery Fly, which see. It has a black, shiny body, clothed with golden hairs. The maggot is yellowish-white. The latter bores into the root stock of the celery, and thence upwards in the leaf-stalks, causing rusty-brown patches to form. Eemedy. — There is only one, and that is to burn all infested plants, and dress the soil with one of the soil fumigants to kill the pupae. 166 GARDEN FOES. Cockchafer Beetle (Melolontha vulgaris).— The Cockchafer Beetle measures about an incli in length, has a black body covered with grey down, and reddish-brown wing-cases. The female lays her eggs beneath the surface of the soil, and from these are hatched flesh-wdiite grubs with curved bodies. The grubs remain three years in the larval stage, and appear as beetles in May or June. They feed on the roots of plants. Eemedy. — The only satisfactory remedy is to pick out and destroy the grubs when digging, and to use one of the soil fumigants previously described. Crickets (Gryllus domesticus). — The House Cricket is partial to the fruit of cucumbers, disfiguring them by gnawing the rind. / CI0CKOHAFE15 BEETLE (MELOLANTHA VT'LGAin.S). Remedy.— Use one of the beetle poisons sold by chemists. Cucumber Eelworm — See Tomato Eoot Eelworm in Chapter X., Part IT. Leather-Jacket Grub (Tipula olcracea).— Thiis is one of the most insidious of garden pests. Unfortunately it carries on its nefarious work by night, and consequently is rarely caught in the act of gnawing the stems of lettuce, cabbage, carnations, and pansies. The Leather-Jacket, so called because of its tough, leathery skin, is the larva of the Daddy Long-Legs, or Crane Fly (Tipula oleracea). The latter tiy deposits its eggs at the base of the stems of graeses in pastures or lawns, and from these are hatched INSECTS, ETC 167 tawny, legless grubs, with an abrupt or truncated tail. The grubs work their way tln-ough the soil, or come to the sur- face at night, and feed on the stems of plants and grasses. Remedy. — There is only one way of dealing with this pernicious pest, and that is digging in, in autumn or prior to planting, one of the soil fumigants described elsewhere. Lettuce Fly (Anthomyia lactuc.^).— The larva? of this fly feed on the seed of lettuce, and occasionally ruin the crop. The larvae are yellowish -white in colour, a quarter- inch long, and footless. The fly is about the same size as the housefly, brownish-black, with brown wings, and lays its eggs in the blossoms in early summer. Those, therefore, who grow lettuce for seed should take special care not to allow the maggots to exist in large numbers. Remedy. — See that the seed before sowdng is free from the pupa3 of this insect. Plants infested with the maggots should be burnt at once. Lettuce Root Aphis (Pemphigus lactucarius). — Large lettuce plants sometimes droop and look sickly. On pulling up the plant the roots will be found infested with insects, having their bodies clothed with fine cottony down. These are the Lettuce Root Aphides. They cluster round the base of the stem and on the roots, and suck out the sap from the cells. Remedies. — Burn every infested plant, and dress the land afterwards with Apterite, Cliffs Powder Insecticide, Kilogrub, or Vaporite. Millepedes (Julus). — These small, active httle ani- mals, commonly known as Thousand Feet, are sometimes a source of trouble to the gardener. Although their natural food is supposed to be decaying matter, they are known to attack the seeds of runner and kidney beans and peas soon after sowing, and either destroy the germinat- ing power of the latter or weaken the embryo plant. There are at least three kinds that are hurtful to seeds— namely, 168 GARDEN FOES. Julus guttatu«s, an inch long, very slender, with an ochre- ons-colonred body, spotted with crimson; Julus terre^tris, which is about an inch long, leaden or pitchy in CM ( [ Mlil.l! 1M)()T KKLWOH.M. This peet attacks the roots of the cvicnniber. and often mine a whole crop of plants. colour, and more or less cylindrical in shape; and Poly- desmus complanatus, a flat kind with a lilac-tinted body. INSECTS, ETC 169 All are funiiKhed with a large nuiiibur of legs. The Spotted Millepede (J. guttatus) ma}^ be found in clusters, devouring the seeds, especially in cold, backward seasons, when germination is retarded. The Millepedes are often mistaken for wireworms, but a reference to the illustra- tions of each will show that they are quite distinct. Kemedies. — If the soil be dressed in autumn or before sowing or planting with Clift's Powder Insecticide. Kilo- grub, or Yaporite, the Millepedes will speedily disappear and cause no further trouble. '"'^^'^fmmBf. MILLEPEDE?, OR FALSE WIREWORMS. Fig. 1, Julus terrestris curkd up; Fig-. 2, Julus guttatus, natural size; Fig. 3, Ditto, largely magnified; Fig. 4 Julus terrestris, natural size; Fig. .j. Horn or antenna of Fig. 4; Figs. 6 and 7, Polydeiimus camplana.tus ini a young and natural state. These creatures are furnished with numerous legs, and therefore easily distinguished from the True Wireworms. They feed on decaying c'jeds and roots of plants. Mushroom Beetles — A species of Rove Beetle (Quedius) and of Dung Beetle (Aphodius) occasionally do injury to mushroom crops, eating the young and mature mushrooms, and disfiguring them for use or sale. Remedies. — In case of crops being injured thus, trap the beetles by placing pieces of liver here and there on the beds. As these beetles are carnivorous as well as vegetable feeders, they will greedily feed on the liver, and he thus easily caught. Slates smeared with, tar and place ana 4, E. ohscu- rus ; Figs, a and' 6, E. sputator, natural size and magnified; Fig. 7, Larva of E. £putator; Fig.s. 8 and 9, Larva of E. lineatiiis, natural flize and magnifie:! ; Fig. 10, Pupa of Wireworm ; Fig. il, Line showing natural length. grubs are hatched, and these straightway bore holes into the roots or stems of plants. Adult grubs are easily recog- nis.ed by their slender, wire-like, jointed bodies, yellowish colour, and slow movements. Wireworms are said to exist four to five years in the grub state, consequently their opportunities of injuring crops are extensive. INSECTS, ETC J8;{ Remedies. — Old pasture land and gardens that have been allowed to become neglected are hable to be badly infested with Wireworms. Heaps of rubbish, too, are favourite haunts. Newly-broken-up or neglected land ought to be dressed with gas-lime three months before crops are sown or planted. Dressings of Apterite, Cliffs Powder Insec- ticide, Kilogrub, or Vaporite, liberally applied, will in time exterminate both larvae and pupa?. Soil for potting should be carefully examined before using, picking out the pests by hand. Salt, too, should be freely sprinkled among garden rubbish placed in heaps to decay. Woodlice (Oniscus armadillo). — These creatures sometimes do a great deal of injury to mushrooms, and to the fruits of cucumbers grown in frames. They have been known to attack young tomato plants. Remedies. — Being night feeders they are difficult to detect. As they congregate, when not feeding, among rubbish and in crevices of walls and floors, their numbers may be considerably reduced by pouring boiling water on the rubbish and walls. Traps, consisting of dirty flower-pots half-filled with moss and laid on their sides, and potato tubers or mangolds with their interiors scooped out, form an excellent means of catching Woodlice. Beetle poison spread on bread and butter and laid about the beds will lure them to destruction. 184 GARDEN FOES. CHAPTER II. VEGETABLE DISEASES. Artichoke Leaf Spot (Ramularia cirerc^).— This is a fungus said to be the cause of the leaves of globe arti- chokes becoming spotted and dying, and the plants con- sequently prevented from producing flower-heads. Remedies. — We know of none, and can only suggest burning infected foliage to prevent the disease spreading. Asparagrus Rust (Puccinia asparagi).— This fun- goid disease has committed terrible havoc among the asparagus crop, especially in the Evesham district. It attacks the plants late in the year, and causes the shoots to turn black. The disease seriously weakens the growth of the plant, and ultimately kills it. Remedies. — Spray the foliage every ten days during the summer with the Woburn Bordeaux Emulsion (Formula 21), or the ordinary Bordeaux Mixture (Formula 20); this acts ais a certain preventive against attack. In the event of plants being infected the proper remedy is to cut off the foliage and burn it. Bean-Pod Canker.— The pods of runner and kidney beans are now and then attacked by a disease which ap- peal's in the form of dark-coloured specks encircled by a reddish line. These spots increase in size, form de- pressions in the surface, and eventually become covered with a white fungoid growth. The disease often appears on the stems, and when it encircles the latter the upper part of the shoot dies. Beans so attacked are worthless for food. VEGETABLE DISEASES. 185 IIemedie.s. — Burn infected plants and ixxla. Do not save seed from infected plants. Spray the plants before flower- ing with Bordeaux Mixture (Formula 20 or 21) half its normal strength, and, when the pods appear, with a solu- tion of one ounce of sulphide of potassium to four gallons of water as a preventive remed}^ Bean Rust (Uromyces Faba^). — This fungus develops on the foliage and stems of the broad bean, covering them with a rust-coloured powder. If very prevalent the crop is seriously injured in consequence. Kemedy. — There is none, but after the beans are gathered the stems should be collected and burnt, to de- stroy the resting spores. Beetroot and Mangrold Rot (Sphitrella tabifica). — A minute parasitic fungus, which first attacks the leaves and then the roots of the beet, mangold, and potato. It has only recently been discovered to attack the latter crop. Remedies. — (1) Avoid growing above crops on the same plot for five or six years after an attack. (2) Burn all in- fected roots and leaves. (3) Dress plots with gas-lime in autumn. Beet Rust (Uromyces betae). — The foliage of beet is sometimes badly attacked by a rusty mould which seri- ously cripples the growth of the plants. The fungus first shows itself in the form of minute cups with whitish edges and congregated in clusters on the surface of the leaves. In due coui'se these develop into a blackish-brown rust or mould. Remedies. — The best remedy is to spray the foliage with the Woburn Bordeaux Emulsion (Formula 21), or ordinary Bordeaux Mixture (Formula 20) in June. When only a stray leaf here and there is attacked pick it off and burn it. When the crop is lifted, all infected leaves should be burnt, not left on the ground to rot or given to pigs, other- wise the fungus will reappear the next season. 1^^ GARDEN FOES, Black Rot of Cabbagre (Pseudomonas caiiipestris). — Tliiy. disease has only recently made ite appearance in England, but has been prevalent in America for some time. Its presence is indicated by the dwarfing or one- sided growth of the plants, and by the heads rotting off. Stems infected have a dark or brown ring in the centre, and the edges of the leavcG turn brown. The disease is caused by a yellow bacterium. Eemeuies. — Burn every infected plant promptly, dress the vacant land with gas-lime, and do not grow any of the cabbage family on the same plot for a year or two. Cabbag-e White Rust (Cystopus candidus).— A fairly common fungoid disease on cabbages and other plants of the same order. It appears in the form of swollen, white patches, or irregular masses of snow white powder. The effect of an attack is the distortion of the leaf and the ill-health of the plant. It is distinct from the Cabbage or Turnip Mildew (Oidium balsamii) which covers the surface with a white film of mycelium similar to hoar frost. PvEMEDY. — There is only one, and that is pulling up auosporium lagenarium).— A fungoid disease which attacks the ends of the fruits, causing them to become rotten. The leaves and stems are also liable to be attacked. PiBMEDY. — None is known. The only thing to do is to cut off all diseased fruits and burn them. Cucumber-Leaf Spot (Cercospora melonis). — Although this was first observed as recently as 1896 it has spread so rapidly as to be at the present time the most destructive parasite with which the cultivator of cucum- bers and melons has to contend. Many market growers have been obliged to give up the cultivation of the crops, whilst others report a loss of £2,000 annually. The first symptom is the appearance of pale green spots scattered ybout on the surface of the leaves. These spots gradually spread imtil they run together, and at the same time pass through a grey to a brownish colour. This is the fruiting stage of the fungus. If it be examined at this time with a lens it is found to consist of a lot of fine, upright, brown threads, each bearing a fruit or " conidium " at its tip. These, conidia are the reproductive bodies, and can be carried from disea;sed to healthy plants on currents of air, VEGETABLE DISEASES. 191 clotliing, or insects. Sometimes the leaves dry up and fall to the ground, when the " mycelium " present in the tissues quickly grows, forming cobweb-like threads, which FX.I52J CUCUMBER AND MELON LEAF BLOTJH (CEEOOSrORA MELONL«). 1, Infected leaf; 2, Magnified -siew of the fungus; 3, Fruit of tlie fungus. (I'lom Board of Agriculture Leaflet.) nm on the surface of the soil, producing more conidia. Failing food, the disease passes into a resting state, in 192 GARDEN FOES. which form it may reuiain inactive in the fsoil from season to season, only to spring into hfe again on the advent of warmth and moisture. These latter conditions are abso- lutely necessary to the pest, and so it can only attack plants under glass, attempts to inoculate plants grown outside having failed. There is said to be no risk of in- fection from the seeds. Eemeuies. — The foliage should be kept as hardy as pos- sible by the admittance of plenty of air, and the atmo- sphere should not be kept any moister than is absolutely necessary. Spraying in anticipation, with a solu- tion of two ounces of potassium sulphide in three gal- lons of water, adding two ounces of soft soap, is recom- mended. The under sides of the leaves should be carefully sprayed and the soil well drenched with the solution if the disease is present. Diseased leaves should be removed and burnt. After a crop has been taken out the soil should be soaked with a solution of Jeyes' Fluid — one ounce to the gallon of water — or Formula 11 be used. Cucumber Mildew (Oidium erysiphoides).— A form of mildew^ or wdiite mould which occasionally attacks the foliage of the cucumber and melon, forming white blotches on the surface. Plants attacked soon become sickly and fail. Remedy. — Thoroughly coat the surface of the leaves w^ith flowers of sulphur, applied by means of a sidphurator, directly the mould is seen. Cucumber Rot (Hypochnus cucumeris). — A fungus which, in the form of a grey, film-like growth, attacks the stems of cucumbem near the soil, causing them to die. Remedies. — Rub a little lime on the base of the stems. Burning the infected roots and stems will prevent the dis- ease spreading. Lettuce Mildew (Bremia lactucne).— A minute fun- gus wdiich covem the under surfi^ce of the leaves of let- VEGETABLE DISEASES. 193 tuce, cliicory, and wild composite plants generally, with a fine white mould. In course of time the infected leaves turn yellow and die. Remedies. — The safest remedy is to pull up and burn every plant infected. It would not be safe to spray the plants with fungicides, on account of the poisonous pro- perties of the latter. Mint Rust (Puccinia mentha?). — This is a fungus which attacks the stems of mint and allied plants, causing them to become swollen and distorted, and utterly spoil- ing the crop from a market point of view. The fungus appears first in orange-coloured masses on the stems, and later on as blackish-brown powdery pustules on the leaves, Kemedy. — There is only one, and that is of a drastic character, namely, lift the infected plants and burn them. It is useless applying fungicides. Dress the ground after- wards with ground lime, and grow mint in a fresh plot. Mushroom Disea.se. — Mushrooms are sometimes attacked in an early period of their growth by a minute parasitic fungus (Hypomyces perniciosus), the mycelium of which develops in the mushroom and causes the stem to assume a swollen, bulbous-like mass, of growth. The infected mushroom consequently fails to grow properly, and the stem eventually changes into a putrid mass, emit- ting a disagreeable smell. The spores of the parasite are, no doubt, introduced into the mushroom bed with the spawn or the manure. Other diseases attacking the mushroom are the Tuft Mould (Gliocladium agaracinum), which causes mushrooms to crack and decay; and the Mushroom Mould (Mycogone alba), which distorts the gills and renders the crop unfit for use. Remedies. — Any mushrooms which do not develop pro- perly, or have swollen stems, with scarcely any caps or heads to them, should be removed and burnt. In the case of a severe attack, remove the whole of the manure and soil right away from the neighbourhood of the beds, and o 194 GARDEN FOES, then spray the roof, walls, and floor of the mushroom house with a solution of one pound of sulphate of copper to fifteen gallons of water. The spraying should be done MUSHROOM DISEASE. (HYl'OMYOEiS PElRNICIOSUS). Caueeis mwsliroome to grow with swollen and distorted stems. [By i>ernn.ssion of the Board of Agriciiltnro.] three times, at intervals of ten days. During this period keep the house warm and moist to encourage the fungi to grow an). Fig. 20. Lygus Salani, magnified; c, Nat. size; 21, Larva stage magnifiel ; d, Nat. size. Fig. 27, Lygus iimbellatarum magnified ; a, Nat. size. green, shining bodies, are most abundant in August, and do similar injury to the foliage as that done by the Frog Fly. Eemedy. — Same as for the Frog Fly. h ^^ POTATO FROG-FLY (EUPTERYX i-OLANI). Showing" flies nat. fiizo and largely magnified. Potato Frog Fly (Eupteryx solani).— A small green- ish dy which may be seen hopping about potato foliage POTATO PESTS in August and September. The flies suck out the sap from the leaves by means of a beak, or rostrum, and then- small green larvae also pierce the cuticles of the leaves, feed on the sap, rupture the cellular tissue, and severely check the growth of the plants. The flies run to the opposite side of the leaf when disturbed, and also hop about when the sun is shining. Remedy. — Spray with an insecticide (Formula 11). DEATH'S-HEAD MOTH (SPHINX ATROPOS). Showing moth, larva, and chryealis. Miscellaneous Pests. — In addition to those already described in this chapter, the Wire worm, various Mille- pedes, the larvae of several moths, a