August 18, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



15< 



but those grown for garden purposes, to which class are 

 being added 3'ear by year many kinds of sterling merit, 

 the time is not far distant when American roses for 

 American gardens will be more eagerly sought for than 

 they are today. The latest and best additions to our 

 out-door roses undoubtedly are the many forms of the 

 Rambler type, Wiehuraiana, and of Rugosa. Thete are 

 all advents since 1885, and it has been worth waiting 

 to see such beauties as Crimson Eambler, Lady Gay, 

 Dorothy Perkins, and some of the lovely single forms. 



The carnation since 1885 has been more conspicuous 

 than any other flower. The improvements have been 

 continuous and really marvellous. The pliability and 

 amenability of the carnation affords to raisers of seed- 

 lings more satisfactory results than can be obtained 

 from any other tender plant, as they produce so many 

 good varieties in comparison with the numbers raised. 

 Whether very marked improvements in carnations will 

 yet come remains to be found out. I am satisfied that 

 without the introduction of some other species oi dian- 

 thus, it is not likely to be nearly as marked as during 

 the last decade. There is yet lots of room for good, 

 new carnations of the right colors, outside of red, pink 

 and white. 



The chrysanthemum, the great and glorious finisher 

 of the year, is more firmly entrenched than ever and 

 will never, never be displaced. Not only are the largest 

 getting larger and the smallest smaller, but every one, 

 be it great or small, is growing in favor. Somebody's 

 going to take up pompons and make a revelation. We 

 still do not want or need chrysanthemums at midsum- 

 mer, but just as soon as pumpkins show yellow it's 

 then and thence forward. 



For summer decoration the improvement in cannas 

 stands out boldh". Previous to 1885 — with one or two 

 exceptions — cannas were only grown for their decora- 

 tive foliage feature, since which time they have been 

 conspicuously beautiful for their flowers. It is very 

 satisfactory to know that many good varieties are now 

 being raised in this country. The canna is not nearly 

 as much appreciated as it should be — much remains to 

 be done to bring the canna forward as a pot or vase 

 plant. 



Dahlias, particularly in the east, have jumped into 

 ■well-merited popidarity. Their many forms and varie<l 

 ■colors make them valuable not only as garden plants 

 "but for cot flowers, and no doubt as a late summer 

 ■flower they will remain with us. 



The above are but a few of the many important 

 things that have been done and have happened since 

 ■those days of 1885, when the S. A. F. ventured to make 

 a bid for a position which by some was feared would 

 not be possible to attain. The result shows the good 

 judgment of the few who had the temerity to go ahead. 

 The watchword is still "Forward," and yet still "For- 

 ward." It is as necessary today as it was in 188-1 and 

 1885^ May success ever attend the efEorts of the 

 S. A. F. 



The Elm Leaf-Beetle 



GALERUCELLA LUTEOLA, MULL. 



The elm leaf-beetle is worst this season than it has 

 been for several years, and it is doing great damage to 

 the elms, especially in Massachusetts. The beetle first 

 appeared in New England about 1892, coming originally 

 from southern Europe, around 1835. 



The damage is done in both the larval and adult ctages 

 and the work is confined entirely to the elms. The young 

 feed on the lower surfaces of the leaves, completely 

 skeletonizing them, so that they become seared and 

 brown. The old beetles eat everything up clean except 

 the veins. Many of the leaves, sometimes all, drop off, 

 and city streets often take on an autumn appearance be- 

 cause of the windrows of fallen leaves and the bare and 

 desolate aspect of the trees. 



The beetle causing this damage resembles the striped 

 cucumber beetle in general appearance. It is one-fourth 

 of an inch long, yellow on the back, marked with two 

 broad black strijies on the wing covers. The head and 

 thorax are marked with several black spots. The abdo- 

 men is black, with yellow markings. The legs are a 

 brownish yellow. 



Hibernating in cracks and crevasses the adult beetles 

 pass the winter, appearing the following spring with the 

 foliage. They feed until the leaves have attained fuU 

 size, when the eggs, four to six hundred in number, are 

 laid. These are deposited on the under side of the leaves 

 at irregular intervals, in lots of five to twenty-five. They 

 are oval in shape, l-3"-3nd of an inch long, attached at one 

 end, pointed at the other, and yellow in color. As the 

 egg laying period consumes such a long time all stages of 

 the beetle can often be found together. 



The young larvae hatch in a week, and the gruhi com- 

 mence to feed. After fifteen days they reach maturity, 

 and are then ready to transform, being about seven- 

 sixteenths of an inch in length, elongated, slightly tufted 

 and greenish yellow and black in color, the yellow being 

 in tVo stripes, extending from the head to the tip of the 

 abdomen. The underside is yellow and orange, marked 

 with black dots. The head and thoracic legs are black. 



They quickly change to naked orange colored pupae, 

 about 7-3"2nd of an inch long, bearing some resemblance 

 to the adult minus the wings. Crevasses of the bark, 

 crotches of the limbs, grass, and rubbish around the base 

 of the trees are favorite spots for pupating, which 

 takes place about the last of July. 



In a week or so the life history is completed and these 

 beetles lay the eggs for a second brood, which are gen- 

 erally the ones found hibernating during the winter. 



Combative Methods. Two combative methods present 

 themselves. The first, and best, is to cover the foliage 

 with some arsenical poison such as paris green, arsenate 

 of lead, or disparene. The most important time to spray 

 is when the leaves are only partly formed, in order to 

 catch the beetles before they lay their eggs. A second or 

 third application may subsequently be required. 



The second method consists in killing the pupating 

 larvae after they collect around the trunk and lower 

 branches with whole oil soap, kerosene emulsion, soap 

 suds, or hot water, but this way is not very satisfactory, 

 as it catches only about 50 to 60 jjer cent. It is the best 

 method to use on places that have but a tree or two, but 

 it needs to be repeated every two or three days. 



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