650 



i 



HORTICULTURE 



May 18, 1907 



heather-like, the first one pendulous and yellowish- 

 green, the other erect and dark green. Ellwangeriana 

 has heather-like foliage which opens the second year, 

 the young shoots short and cord-like; compact in 

 growth. VVareana, also called robusta, is a coarse, com- 

 pact, oblong-spherical growing little tree. Lowii. um- 

 braculifera, globosa, rotimda and a few others are of 

 spherical compact growth with coarser or finer foliage. 

 Eecurva, nana, damo.'ia, Little Gem, are dwarf little 

 trees of spreading liabit good for rockeries. All these 

 arbor vitaes can bo used to advantage isolated on small 

 lawns, in lieds, formal work and hedges. 



Thuya plicata, gigantea or Lobbii are three different 

 names for the red cedar of the Pacific coast. It is a 

 beautiful tree which grows to a large size but unfor- 

 tunately is not reliably hardy in our northeastern states. 

 When young it looks like a broad robust-growing arbor 

 vitae, lighter and glossy green in color. Gracilis; aurea 

 and a few other forms of it are not anv hardier. 



To be Continued. 



Amasonia Punicea 



This beautiful winter flowering shrub deserves to be 

 better known as a most useful commercial plant; a 

 worthy rival in its rich, coloring to Poinsettia pucheri- 

 ma. Though mentioned in Loudon's encyclopedia in 

 1822, it was reintroduced as a new plant from British 

 Guiana in 1886 by Messrs. Yeitch, but is by no means 

 common today. The inflorescence is very brilliant, in 

 the form of spreading bracts, of a rich vermilion-crim- 

 son; the leaves of bracts are arranged in pairs, longer 

 at the base and graduated along the entire length of 

 the racemes, which when well-grown are from 12 to IS 

 inches in length. The bract is the main feature of the 

 plant and lasts fully two months in perfection; the 

 tubular flowers are borne at the base of each pair of 

 bract leaves, and are of a creamy white color and offer a 

 pleasing contrast to the other parts of inflorescence. 

 Though the flowers do not last long the bracts remain 

 splendid for cut-flower arrangements, showing up bril- 

 liantly by artificial light. 



The plant is of easy culture when its simple require- 

 ments are met. It is a stove plant but has a preference 

 for a cold bottom stage and enjoys plenty of moisture 

 during growth. Unlike the poinsettia, it is not of a de- 

 cidiious nature, but requires a careful watering and 

 partial rest when flowers are over. First year plants 

 may be grown on into nice specimens the second year, 

 carrying four or five bracts. As compost use turfy loam, 

 leaf mould and a little peat and sand ; it does not take 

 kindly to gross feeding, but a little Standen's manure 

 when bracts are developing is helpful; propagate by 

 taking in the spring firm, fresh cuttings which are easily 

 rooted in warm case; grow straight on, without any 

 pinching into nice single-stem plants in 5-inch pots 

 suitable for Christmas flowering. The smart, up-to- 

 date florist will know at sight that if this plant can be 

 successfully grown, it is just the color to meet a large 

 demand for all decorative purposes. 



May 2, 1907. 



(^djQ,oX h'i' 



Xy^.j'Ji^ 



The Elm-Leaf Beetle 



As this insect is liable to occur again in alarming 

 numbers this }ear, a few notes on its life history and 

 the methods of treating it may be timely. 



The beetle passes the winter in the adult stage in 

 any place where more or less protection can be had 

 from the inclemencies of the weather, "uch as out- . 

 buildings, sheds, steeples, hollows of trees, and even 

 under sidewalks. If the weather is favorable, they 

 appear during the last of April or tlie first part of 

 May to feed on the unfolded leaves of the elm. When 

 the foliage is far enough advanced to furnish food for 

 the larvae, egg laying is commenced. Unlike a great 

 many insects, this process continues for several days, a 

 few eggs each day. The larvae appear flve or six days 

 after the eggs have been deposited and begin to feed on 

 the under side of the leaves. The work of the larvae 

 can therefore be distinguished from that of the adult 

 beetles by the fact that the latter eat irregular, round 

 holes in the foliage. 



The grub is full-grown in from fifteen to twenty-five 

 days, depending on the condition of the weather and 

 the food supply. It then descends toward the ground 

 and pupates in any convenient place, such as hollows of 

 trees and crevices in the bark, and also in large quan- 

 tities around the trunk of the tree at the base. Last 

 summer in Providence larvae and pupae could be swept 

 up by the quart from the folds of the burlaps which 

 were placed on the trees for the gypsy moth'. 



A few days are passed in the pupa state, and a sec- 

 ond brood of beetles appear from the first to the middle 

 of July, and grubs of these are full-grown the latter 

 part of August. Under favorable conditions a third 

 generation may also appear, but generally the beetles 

 of the second pass the winter. 



As yet we have no parasitic insects which seem able 

 to keep the beetles in check. Occasionally weather con- 

 ditions are responsible for the destruction of a great 

 many of the first brood. Birds also are efEective en- 

 emies, but in cities where the English sparrow has taken 

 possession, the insectivorous species have been driven 

 out. It is partly for this reason that the insect is much 

 more injurious in the cities and tov/ns than in the 

 woodlands. 



The principal remedy is spraying, but because of the 

 great resistance of the beetles to poisons it is necessary 

 to use a kind that can be applied in large quantities 

 Avithout injuring the foliage. Lead arsenate has been 

 found to be the best known remedy and should be ap- 

 plied at the rate of ten pounds to one hundred gallons 

 of water. If the beetles are numerous at the beginning 

 of the year, a spraying should be given just as soon as 

 the leaves have unfolded. If this does not check the 

 insect sufficiently, a second spraying can be given at the 

 time the larvae of the first brood appear. Under most 

 conditions this is the principal spraying of the season. 

 If conditions are excejjt ion ally favorable to the beetle, 

 it may be necessary to make an application to destroy 

 the second brood in August. Sometimes large quan- 

 tities of the larvae and pupae of the insect can be de- 

 stroyed by the application of kerosene emulsion or hot 

 water when found on the trunk or around the base of 

 the trees. 



Banding the trees with sticky fly-paper or other ma- 

 terial is of no use against this insect because the 

 beetles fly actively and do not ascend the trunk in at- 

 tacking a tree. 



— Extension Department E. T. Col. of Agr. & Mech. 

 Arts. Kinqs^lon, E. 1. 



