Mo. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 501 



lime and one of salt, putting a small handful around each plant, 

 or in the soil as it is set, is recommended as a preventive of club 

 root of cabbage. We have had gratifying reports of formulas pub- 

 lished in our "Monthly Bulletin" of the lime and sulphur as a pre- 

 ventive of club root. If we were discussing remedies, we should 

 here mention nitrate of soda from one hundred to three hundred 

 pounds per acre upon fields infested with Hessian fly. The purpose 

 of this is to strengthen the wheat, and thus prevent death to the 

 grain by the attacks of insects, rather than to remedy the trouble 

 by killing the pests. 



IV. Fourth and last in the group of preventives, to be discussed, 

 is the general subject of vital means. By ■ this we mean every 

 method that will give life, vigor and vitality to the plant. Fertilizer 

 in the soil, strong vigorous plants, good seed, good cultivation, prun- 

 ing, thinning fruit, moisture, the absence of weeds and other means 

 contribute as vital preventives of insects. 



Under this head, however, we wish to emphasize the desirability 

 of recognizing and preserving parasites. While parasitic insects 

 are not of great importance during every year of their existence, 

 they are the chief means by which nature suppresses insect out- 

 breaks immediately following those years when such pests appear 

 in immense numbers. When a diseased, sickly or parasitized insect 

 is seen about the premises let it remain, with the assurance that it 

 will soon die, and the cause of its destruction will multiply and 

 pass to others of its kind. It is to be regretted that definite means 

 for either the propagation or preservation of beneficial insects can 

 not be given. 



Under the head of vital preventives, we wish also to emphasize 

 the necessity of knowing the higher enemies of insects, and preserv- 

 ing them at all times. Among these are toads, frogs and sala- 

 manders, serpents of all species, land turtles, etc. Also, birds of 

 nearly all kinds that may be found around the orchard or farm. 

 These are natural enemies of insects, and feed while we sleep or 

 work or rest. Let us learn to know them and preserve them in 

 order that Nature's preventives may be effective and man's remedies 

 may not be necessary. 



ROUND TABLE— SECTION B. 



(Conducted by Prof. Surface.) \ 



DR. FUNK: Regarding what would be remedies and preventives 

 at the same time, I agree with what the speaker has said on this 

 subject in discussing the lime-sulphur-salt for San Jos6 Scale. By 



