FOUR IMPORTANT INSECTICIDES. 137 



dashes the spray onto the plant, so that nearly every larva is sure to receive the 

 death sentence, and I find it a very economical instrument, as a single pint of 

 liquid will suffice for a large number of plants. One caution should be observed: 

 " 'Tis the early bird that catches the worm," so we can not be too early in 

 treating these harmful caterpillars. By charging the foe as soon as they 

 charge upon the cabbage, we destroy the first brood before the cabbages are 

 much injured, and no gardener need be told how important it is to keep these 

 younglings vigorous. Infancy is the susceptible period both with animals and 

 plants. Prompt warfare is even more imperative with the second brood, for 

 now the plants are hetided, and unless the larva3 are charged upon before they 

 throw up those impregnable breastworks, by tunneling far into the cabbages, 

 our efforts for their destruction will be largely in vain. Here, then, we have as 

 cheap and as efficient a weapon to defend against these invaders from the old 

 world as we have in Paris green, and the Buhach is entirely safe. How, then, 

 can any one defend the use of the arsenites in such warfare? 



Pyrethrum is also a sure destroyer of house flies, plant lice, vermin on 

 poultry and other domestic animals, and nearly all plant-eating larva?. On 

 poultry, cattle and horses it is used as a powder and dusted into the hair and 

 feathers. By following the hand, as it strokes the animal against the hair and 

 feathers, by a good dust-bellows the dust is quickly applied. On cattle and 

 horses this has to be used so many times to do efficient work that I have pre- 

 ferred the use of a decoction of tobacco, which will usually do wondrous execu- 

 tion even with one thorough application. And I have no hesitation in saying 

 that it is more rational to use this poison — tobacco — in killing lice than to use 

 it killing our boys, while I know that the former use is much less nauseating, 

 as it is very quickly over. 



The only trouble with this insecticide is the difficulty of procuring a good 

 article. Professor W. W. Tracy informs me that though he has bought it at 

 various times and at several different places in Detroit, he has rarely failed to 

 get a good article; yet from a wide correspondence with parties in many parts 

 of the country I think that his experience is not that of many others. If I 

 were to buy of a druggist in any of our towns I should buy sparingly, till I had 

 tested it. By blowing with the aid of a cheap hand bellovrs a half teaspoonful 

 into a room containing house flies it is easy to determine its value. If in a few 

 moments all the flies fall helpless to the floor, we know the article is good, and 

 we can safely buy more. If we find that the flies pay no attention to the dust, 

 but are as gay and festive as ever, then we better buy no more. The common 

 Pyrethrum or Persian insect powder comes from abroad, and is often old and 

 worthless, perhaps from age, often from adulteration. The safest way is to 

 send, or have our druggist, direct to G. N. Milco, Stockton, California We 

 are then sure, I believe, to secure a fresh and pure article. Mr. Milco is an 

 extensive grower and manufacturer of the article, and could not afford to send 

 out a spurious or inferior article even if he was dishonest enough to do so. I 

 have now secured direct from Mr. Milco for three successive years enough 

 of this powder for my use and experiments, and I have found it always reliable 

 and of the best quality. 



Before leaving this subject let me say that I learned a new and very gratify- 

 ing use for this Buhach last summer. I found that by washing our horses in 

 several places every hour or two they were relieved from the pestiferous presence 

 of flies. It is easy to keep a bottle with a solution in the field, and as often as 

 necessary use a little about the horses, when our team works with much less 

 irritation, both on the part of the horses and the driver. 

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