Injurious Insects. 149 



It only remains to be said that this same kerosene mix- 

 ture is very deadly to almost all insects, and if thorougly 

 applied to them is very effective. Whenever the arsenites 

 are ineffective, or forbidden by the possibility of danger, 

 and where there is no objection to the use of kerosene from 

 its odor and taste, then I would recommend its use. Bark 

 or scale lice will succumb to this same substance, and are 

 especially susceptible to it if the application is made just as 

 the young lice hatch. Again, we have found that those 

 terrible pests of the gardener, the raddish, onion and cab- 

 bage maggots are vanquished, surely vanquished, by the 

 use of this liquid. True, many will use it and not succeed; 

 only, however, because they will not be sufficiently thor- 

 ough. We all know that these maggots tunnel far into the 

 stem of the plants, and are thus safely out of harm's way. 

 The only surety of success lies in making the application 

 every three or four days. This is not very expensive and pays 

 well. We turn a half gill about each cabbage plant, or in 

 the case of radishes and onions turn quite a stream along 

 each row. We have thoroughly proved the efficacy of ^this 

 remedy both in the garden and in the laboratory. 



The Currant Slug — The currant saw fly is another enemy 

 which has come to us from over the sea. As you all know 

 it is a bad one. 



These flies are about the size of the common house flies, 

 and to the casual glance look not unlike them. The female, 

 as is generally the case with insects, is the larger. She is yel- 

 low with black markings, while the male is black with yel- 

 low lines. The female, in May and June, by use of her 

 wondrous saw, prepares a place on the underside of the cur- 

 rant and gooseberry leaves along the veins, for her white 

 eggs. When these are laid, they look not unlike strings of 

 beads. The larva are first pale green, and though very 

 small, can be quickly found by the perforations in the leaves. 

 Little circular holes — often several — will show in each in- 

 fested leaf. The slugs grow rapidly, and soon get too big 

 for their skins. Then the skin bursts and the slug relieved, 

 again stuffs himself till he feels ready to burst again. These 

 moultings, as the casting of the skin is called, occurs five 



