13.° ASPARAGUS 
they may be killed with insecticides, or the plants, 
after they become covered with eggs, may be cut down 
and burned, and other shoots be allowed to grow up 
as decoys. One of the best and least expensive reme- 
dies against the larvee is fresh air-slacked lime dusted 
on the plants in the early morning while the dew is on. 
It quickly destroys all the grubs with which it comes 
in contaé. The lime may be conveniently applied by 
means of a whisk-broom or a Paris green sifter. Even. 
dry road dust applied in this manner will have a bene- 
ficial effect. The special merit of these inse¢ticides is 
that they can be used without the least danger upon 
young shoots being cut for market or home use. 
Paris green and other arsenites, applied dry in pow- 
der, mixed with flour or plaster, or in solution, answer 
equally well, after cutting has ceased, and possess the 
advantage of destroying beetles as well as larvee. One 
pound of Paris green to a barrel of fine plaster makes 
a sufficiently strong mixture. It may be necessary to 
make two of these applications at intervals or as often 
as the larve reappear on the plants. Powdered helle- 
bore mixed with flour, one part to ten, or in solution 
of one ounce of hellebore to three gallons of water, is 
also very effective against the young larvee. Pyreth- 
rum or buhach may be used in similar manner, and 
kerosene emulsion has been highly recommended by 
some experimenters. In hot weather, when the soil 
is dry, the larvee may be brushed or shaken from the 
plants so that they will drop to the heated ground, 
where they die, being unable to regain the shelter of 
the plants. Whichever methods for the destruction of 
this pest are adopted, unless the work be done thor- 
