Home Vegetable Gardening - F. F. Rockwell (nice books to read .txt) 📗

common white or

yellow butterfly of early spring. Pick off all that are visible, and

spray with kerosene emulsion if the heads have not begun to form. If

they have, use hellebore instead. The caterpillar or worm of tomatoes

is a large green voracious one. Hand-picking is the only remedy.

 

Club-root:—This is a parasitical disease attacking the cabbage

group, especially in ground where these crops succeed each other. Lime

both soil and seed-bed—at least the fall before planting, unless using

a special agricultural lime. The crop infested is sometimes carried

through by giving a special dressing of nitrate of soda, guano or other

quick-acting powerful fertilizer, and hilled high with moist earth,

thus giving a special stimulation and encouraging the formation of new

roots. While this does not in any way cure the disease, it helps the

crop to withstand its attack. When planting again be sure to use crop

rotation and to set plants not grown in infested soil.

 

Cucumber-beetle:—This is the small, black-and-yellow-striped

beetle which attacks cucumbers and other vines and, as it multiplies

rapidly and does a great deal of damage before the results show, they

must be attended to immediately upon appearance. The vine should be

protected with screens until they crowd the frames, which should be put

in place before the beetles put in an appearance. If the beetles are

still in evidence when the vines get so large that the screens must be

removed, keep sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. Plaster, or fine ashes,

sifted on the vines will also keep them off to some extent, by keeping

the leaves covered.

 

Cucumber-wilt:—This condition accompanies the presence of the

striped beetle, although supposed not to be directly caused by it. The

only remedy is to get rid of the beetles as above, and to collect and

burn every wilted leaf or plant.

 

Cucumber-blight or Mildew is similar to that which

attacks muskmelons, the leaves turning yellow, dying in spots and

finally drying up altogether. Where there is reason to fear an attack

of this disease, or upon the first appearance, spray thoroughly with

Bordeaux, 5-5-50, and repeat every ten days or so. The spraying seems

to be more effective on cucumbers than on melons.

 

Cutworm:—The cutworm is perhaps the most annoying of all

garden pests. Others do more damage, but none is so exasperating. He

works at night, attacks the strongest, healthiest plants, and is

content simply to cut them off, seldom, apparently, eating much or

carrying away any of the severed leaves or stems, although occasionally

I have found such bits, especially small onion tops, dragged off and

partly into the soil. In small gardens the quickest and best remedy is

hand-picking. As the worms work at night they may be found with a

lantern; or very early in the morning. In daytime by digging about in

the soil wherever a cut is found, and by careful search, they can

almost invariably be turned out. As a preventive, and a supplement to

hand-picking, a poisoned bait should be used. This is made by mixing

bran with water until a “mash” is made, to which is added a dusting of

Paris green or arsenate of lead, sprayed on thickly and thoroughly

worked through the mass. This is distributed in small amounts—a

tablespoonful or so to a place along the row or near each hill or

plant—just as they are coming up or set out. Still another method,

where only a few plants are put out, is to protect each by a collar of

tin or tar paper.

 

Flea-beetle:—This small, black or striped hard-shelled mite

attacks potatoes and young cabbage, radish and turnip plants. It is

controlled by spraying with kerosene emulsion or Bordeaux.

 

Potato-beetle:—The striped Colorado beetle, which invariably

finds the potato patch, no matter how small or isolated. Paris green,

dry or sprayed, is the standard remedy. Arsenate of lead is now largely

used. On small plots hand-picking of old bugs and destruction of eggs

(which are laid on under side of leaves) is quick and sure.

 

Potato-blight:—Both early and late forms of blight are

prevented by Bordeaux, 5-5-50, sprayed every two weeks. Begin early—

when plants are about six inches high.

 

Potato-scab:—Plant on new ground; soak the seed in solution

prepared as directed under No. 10, which see; allow no treated tubers

to touch bags, boxes, bins or soil where untreated ones have been kept.

 

Root-maggot:—This is a small white grub, often causing serious

injury to radishes, onions and the cabbage group. Liming the soil and

rotation are the best preventives. Destroy all infested plants, being

sure to get the maggots when pulling them up. The remaining plants

should be treated with a gill of strong caustic lime water, or solution

of muriate of potash poured about the root of each plant, first

removing an inch or so of earth. In place of these solutions carbolic

acid emulsion is sometimes used; or eight to ten drops of bisulphide of

carbon are dropped into a hole made near the roots with the dibber and

then covered in. Extra stimulation, as directed for Club-root,

will help carry the plants through.

 

Squash-bug:—This is the large, black, flat “stink-bug,” so

destructive of squash and the other running vines. Protection with

frames, or hand-picking, are the best home garden remedies. The old

bugs may be trapped under boards and by early vines. The young bugs, or

“sap-sucking nymphs,” are the ones that do the real damage. Heavy

tobacco dusting, or kerosene emulsion will kill them.

 

White-Fly:—This is the most troublesome under glass, where it

is controlled by fumigation, but occasionally is troublesome on plants

and tomato and cucumber vines. The young are scab-like insects and do

the real damage. Spray with kerosene emulsion or whale-oil soap.

 

White-grub or muck-worm:—When lawns are infested the sod

must be taken up, the grubs destroyed and new sward made. When the

roots of single plants are attacked, dig out, destroy the grubs and, if

the plant is not too much injured, reset.

 

The remedies given in the table above are prepared as follows:

 

MECHANICAL REMEDIES

 

1.—_Covered boxes:_—These are usually made of half-inch stuff,

about eight inches high and covered with mosquito netting, wire or

“protecting cloth”—the latter having the extra advantage of holding

warmth over night.

 

2.—_Collars_ are made of old cans with the bottoms removed,

cardboard or tarred paper, large enough to go over the plant and an

inch or so into the ground.

 

3.—_Cards_ are cut and fitted close around the stem and for an

inch or so upon the ground around it, to prevent maggots going down the

stem to the root. Not much used.

 

DESTRUCTIVE REMEDIES

 

4.—_Hand-picking_ is usually very effective, and if performed as

follows, not very disagreeable: Fasten a small tin can securely to a

wooden handle and fill one-third full of water and kerosene; make a

small wooden paddle, with one straight edge and a rather sharp point;

by using this in the right hand and the pan in the left, the bugs may

be quickly knocked off. Be sure to destroy all eggs when hand-picking

is used.

 

5.—_Kerosene emulsion_ is used in varying strengths; for method

of preparing, see Chapter XVII.

 

6 and 7.—For use of whale-oil soap and miscible oils, see Chapter

XVII.

 

8.—_Tobacco dust:_—This article varies greatly. Most sorts are

next to worthless, but a few of the brands especially prepared for this

work (and sold usually at $3 per hundred pounds, which will last two

ordinary home gardens a whole season) are very convenient to use, and

effective. Apply with a duster, like that described in Implements.

 

9.—_Carbolic acid emulsion:_—1 pint crude acid, 1 lb. soap and 1

gal. water. Dissolve the soap in hot water, add balance of water and

pump into an emulsion, as described for kerosene emulsion.

 

10.—_Corrosive sublimate_ is used to destroy scab on potatoes for

seed by dissolving 1 oz. in 7 gals, of water. The same result is

obtained by soaking for thirty minutes in a solution of commercial

formalin, at the rate of 1 gill to 15 gals. of water.

 

11.—_Bordeaux mixture:_—See Chapter XVII.

 

POISONOUS REMEDIES

 

12.—_Paris green:_—This is the standard remedy for eating-bugs

and worms. With a modern dusting machine it can be put on dry, early in

the morning when the dew is still on. Sometimes it is mixed with

plaster. For tender plants easily burned by the pure powder, and where

dusting is not convenient, it is mixed with water at the rate of 1 lb.

to 50 to 100 gals. and used as a spray. In mixing, make a paste of

equal quantities of the powder and quicklime, and then mix thoroughly

in the water. It must be kept stirred up when using.

 

13.—_Arsenate of lead:_—This has two advantages over Paris

green: It will not burn the foliage and it will stay on several times

as long. Use from 4 to 10 lbs. in 100 gals. of water; mix well and

strain before putting in sprayer. See also Chapter XVII.

 

14.—_Hellebore:_—A dry, white powder, used in place of Nos. 12

or 13 on vegetables or fruit that is soon to be eaten. For dusting, use

1 lb. hellebore to 5 of plaster or flour. For watering or spraying, at

rate of 1 lb. to 12 gals. of water.

 

PRECAUTIONS

 

So much for what we can do in actual hand-to-hand, or rather hand-to-mouth, conflict with the enemy. Very few remedies have ever proved

entirely successful, especially on crops covering any considerable

area. It will be far better, far easier and far more effective to use

the following means of precaution against plant pest ravages: First,

aim to have soil, food and plants that will produce a rapid, robust

growth without check. Such plants are seldom attacked by any plant

disease, and the foliage does not seem to be so tempting to eating-insects; besides which, of course, the plants are much better able to

withstand their attack if they do come. Second, give clean, frequent

culture and keep the soil busy. Do not have old weeds and refuse lying

around for insects and eggs to be sheltered by. Burn all leaves, stems

and other refuse from plants that have been diseased. Do not let the

ground lie idle, but by continuous cropping keep the bugs, caterpillars

and eggs constantly rooted out and exposed to their natural enemies.

Third, practice crop rotation. This is of special importance where any

root disease is developed. Fourth, watch closely and constantly for the

first appearance of trouble. The old adages “eternal vigilance is the

price of peace,” and “a stitch in time saves nine,” are nowhere more

applicable than to this matter. And last, and of extreme importance, be

prepared to act at once. Do not give the enemy an hour’s rest

after his presence is discovered. In almost every case it is only by

having time to multiply, that damage amounting to anything will be

done.

 

If you will keep on hand, ready for instant use, a good hand-sprayer

and a modern powder gun, a few covered boxes, tobacco dust, arsenate of

lead and materials for kerosene emulsion and Bordeaux mixture, and are

not afraid to resort to hand-picking when necessary, you will be able

to cope with all the plant enemies you are likely to encounter. The

slight expense necessary—considering that the two implements mentioned

will last for years with a little care—will pay as handsome a dividend

as any garden investment you can make.