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HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



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works nearly always on the un(ier part of the 

 leaves, and often has got a firm foothold be- 

 fore its presence has been discovered. The 

 experienced gardener knows that the main 

 cause of Red Spider is a dry, hot atmosphere, 

 as it is never present to injure in a moist at- 

 mosphere and low temperature. So the pre- 

 ventive is at all times an atmosphere in the 

 green-house that will prevent the attacks of 

 the Red Spider, which at the same time is 

 most congenial to the health of the plants, for 

 it is certain that if the Red Spider is present 

 in force, then the atmosphere has been too 

 dry for the well-being of the plants. To 

 avoid this in private green-houses, where the 

 walks cannot be splashed with water, evap- 

 orating pans should be placed on the pipes, 

 or any other method tliat may suggest itself 

 to increase the moisture of the atmosphere. 

 Last season we filled the space between the 

 rows of pipe with Sphagnum Moss, from 

 which, when wet, a steady moisture was 

 given out. When the Red Spider is present, 

 the best way to destroy it is repeated forcible 

 syringings of the leaves, with applications of 

 a sulphur wash to the pipes, as recommended 

 for Mildew, which see. 



" Carnation Twitter " is an insect but 

 little known, and in this district only by its 

 local name of "Carnation Twitter," given 

 from its rapid and nervous motion. As seen 

 by the naked eye, it is about the twentieth 

 part of an inch in length, and of a thickness 

 not more than that of a needle point. It is of 

 various shades of color, from green to black. 

 It is never very numerous on the plants, but 

 most destructive, and evidently poisonous in 

 its attacks on all varieties of the Carnation or 

 Dlanthus family. Its effects on plants some- 

 what resemble those of the Red Spider, ex- 

 cept that, when attacked by the "Twitter," 

 the leaves have a cankered and twisted ap- 

 pearance, easily distinguishable from the 

 browning effects of the Spider; and it is far 

 more destructive. We have often seen thous- 

 ands of Carnation plants destroyed by it in a 

 season. We regret to say that, so far, we 

 have found nothing that will destroy this 

 insect that does not at the same time injure 

 the plant. We have tried Tobacco in all 

 forms, lime, soot, Hellebore, Paris Green, 

 Quassia, Aloes, and all the nostrums usually 

 baneful to insect life, without seeming in the 

 slightest to disturb the " Twitter." We have 

 found, however, that its ravages are worst on 

 light soils ; on heavy, stiff clay land we have 

 never known it to do much injury. 



Brown and White Scale Insects are 

 often troublesome on old plants of Oleanders, 

 Orange trees, and some hot-house plants. 

 They are best destroyed by being washed or 

 rubbed off, or by using the Kerosene Emul- 

 sion. See Insecticides. 



Slugs or Snails. These are troublesome 

 both in the open ground and in the green- 

 house. Salt is certain death to them, even in 

 smallest quantities, and when in the open 

 garden, a slight sprinkling of salt over the 

 ground is elTectual; but the sprinkling, it 

 must be remembered, must be very slight, as 

 salt, if put on (even as thick as sand is usually 

 strewn on a floor) will kill almost any kind of 

 vegetation. In our greea-houses the snails 

 usually feed at night, getting under the 

 benches during the day. We have found a 



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most effectual remedy in strewing a thin line 

 of salt on edge of each bench ; — this makes a 

 complete '• dead line " for the Slugs or Snails, 

 for they cannot cross it and live. Another 

 plan is to slice up potatoes, carrots, cabbage, 

 or lettuce leaves, to feed on, for which they 

 will leave all other plants. Examine these 

 traps daily, and destroy the captives. 



Ants. — These are sometimes very de- 

 structive to vegetation, particularly in dry, 

 sandy soils. We have repeatedly suffered 

 serious losses from them, both in our green- 

 houses and out of doors. The most effica- 

 cious remedy we have tried is to saturate 

 pieces of sponge with sugar, or to place fresh 

 bones around their haunts ; they wiU leave 

 everything else to feed on these, and when 

 they are thus trapped, can be destroyed by 

 dipping in hot water or burning. Another 

 method is to blow Pyrethrum or Persian Insect 

 Powder over them with a bellows. They are 

 killed at once if the powder strikes them in a 

 dry state ; but it has no effect if damp, for, 

 when strewed in their haunts, they run over 

 it with impunity. 



The Angle Worm, or the common red 

 worm, seen in nearly every soil, in pots or in 

 the open ground, is harmless as far as feeding 

 on the plant goes, for it does not feed on the 

 plants, but bores and crawls around in a way 

 which seriously disturbs the roots of plants, 

 particularly when growing in pots. Some 

 savant has recently given it as his opinion 

 that the Angle Worm is highly beneficial in 

 pulverizing the soil, and that Nature has 

 placed it there for that purpose. We are 

 afraid that there are few cultivators that feel 

 grateful to the Angle Worm for such service, 

 and that most of us would rather be allowed 

 to do our own pulverizing without this 

 "natural" assistance. The Angle Worm is 

 easily destroyed with the following solution : 

 one peck of shell lime in forty gallons of 

 water, allowing the residue to settle at the 

 bottom, and watering the plants with the clear 

 lime water. The caustic of the lime acts on 

 the cuticule of the worms, and is quickly fatal 

 to them. 



There are many insects that attack the 

 Cabbage tribe, among the best known of which 

 is that which causes the disease known as 

 "Club Root" (which seo). Another enemy of 

 the Cabbage plant, and one that is sometimes 

 even more destructive than the Club Root, 

 is the 



Cabbage Caterpillar or Cabbage Worm. 

 This insect is comparatively a new comer in 

 the vicinity of New York, having been, it is 

 believed, imported from Europe. It is pro- 

 duced by a small white butterfly that is seen 

 hovering over the Cabbage patches in spring. 

 It attacks the leaves of the plant, and is such 

 a voracious feeder that it will quickly destroy 

 a whole plantation. We find an excellent 

 remedy for this pest to be White Hellebore 

 powder, which must, however, be put on in 

 the early stage of the plant's existence, as 

 when heading up, of course, it would not be 

 safe to apply it. The past fall and winter our 

 cold-frame Cabbage and Cauliflower plants 

 were attacked by the Cabbage Worm, both in 

 the seed bed in the open field, and also after 

 being transplanted into the frames. One 

 good dusting of White Hellebore powder 

 destroyed them completely on both occasions. 



