VI. Plant Enemies and Friends 



SPRAYER. 

 PLANT ENEMIES" 



PLANT ENEMIES 



Plants have many insect enemies. These may be divided 

 into two groups : chewing insects, which eat the leaves, 

 and sucking insects, which pierce the leaves or young stems 

 and draw out the juices. Generally speaking, the hard- 

 bodied insect is a chewer and the soft-bodied insect a sucker. 

 Most of these destructive insects work above the ground, 

 but some, like the cutworm, wireworm, and some maggots, 

 work underground. 



One of the best protections against insects and plant dis- 

 eases is to keep the plants in a vigorous growing condition. 

 It is also a good plan to spade your garden deep just before 

 the time of frost, as many insects are destroyed by the cold 

 of winter when this is done. 



Most chewing insects, such as caterpillars and beetles, 

 can be poisoned by arsenate of lead mixed in water. Paris 

 green and hellebore are other poisons used. These mix- 

 tures may be put on the plants with a whisk broom or, 

 better, with a regular sprayer. Mix i tablespoonful of 

 powdered lead arsenate with a gallon of water, i tea- 

 spoonful of Paris green with lo quarts of water, or a table- 

 spoonful of hellebore with 3 gallons of water. 



[54] 



