282 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



hand, as in seed sowing. This method is more economical, more 

 rapid, than those mentioned above, and has the advantage that, if 

 the plants are high enough, the powder can be applied to the 

 under side of the leaves. 



Prof. W. A. Henry, in speaking at the joint convention of his 

 experiments with Pyrethrum powder, or Bubach, as it is called by 

 Mr. Milco, who is manufacturing it, said he believed it would soon 

 become one of our most popular and most effective insecticides. 

 It could be used to destroy household pests, in the hot-house, gar- 

 den and field, or on our domestic animals, as it was perfectly 

 harmless except to insect, life. The plant from which the powder 

 is made resembles the Wild Sunflower or Rosin Weed. Like it, 

 it has a volatile oil which is the destructive principle. The flow- 

 ers are picked when in fall bloom, and when dried are ground up 

 very fine. It is so harmless to men that it may be eaten in small 

 quantities without injury. If drawn up the nostrils in applying 

 it a slight irritation is produced, but soon is gone and no harm 

 results. This enables it to be used in many places where the 

 active poisons cannot be applied without danger. Most of this 

 powder in the market is 'brought from Europe, and sold as Per- 

 sian Insect Powder. This has not proved always satisfactory, as 

 much of it has been adulterated, and from loss of strength by age. 

 That manufactured in California is stronger and cheaper. The 

 price was still high and serves to limit its use except on a small 

 scale, but there was a good prospect of its cost being soon so re- 

 duced as to make it possible to use it largely. The company 

 formed to raise and manufacture it have eight hundred acres de- 

 voted to its cultivation, and employ over three hundred men. 

 They have expended $60,000 and have received but small re- 

 turns, but they propose soon to reduce the cost of production so 

 much that they can put it on the market in large quantities at 

 low rates. 



Prof. Cook, of Michigan, had used it with great success for the 

 cabbage worm, and Prof. Henry himself had experimented with 

 it quite largely, at Washington and other places, under the direc- 

 tion of Prof. Riley, and had not found an instance in which it 



