44 ORNAMENTAL GARDENING 



they swell up and become knotted into unsightly shapes and the 

 plant dies. It attacks plants in pots or boxes but is worst on 

 those in the open ground. I know of no satisfactory remedy for 

 it but heavy mulching for outdoor things is helpful, though it 

 does not always prevent its ravages. One should closely watch 

 his young plants and if they look sickly or are inclined to wilt 

 it is best to dig down carefully and examine about the roots. 

 If they show the knot dig the plants up and thoroughly wash 

 all the dirt from them. It may be possible by severe trimming 

 to cut away the injured part, after which put the plant into a 

 small pot and in some cases it will come on. All trimmings 

 should be destroyed. In case the roots are ruined it may be 

 possible to make cuttings from the top of the plant. 



There is a borer, the larva of one of the night flying moths, 

 which enters the growing ends of shoots of Erythrinas and some 

 other things ; it also works down the flower stems and wherever 

 it attacks it brings ruin. The branches attempt to put out new 

 growth, only to be attacked again, while the bloom stems that it 

 works on shrivel and die. In some cases it prevents large trees 

 from growing or blossoming. I do not know at what time of the 

 year this moth is active but if at the proper time a light could be 

 put inside a muslin enclosure covered with any sticky substance 

 and the same set near the trees the moths would be caught. 



We have a twig girdler which is occasionally troublesome as it 

 cuts off twigs and small limbs. It is a beetle and is very hard to 

 control because it works singly and at night. The only remedy 

 would be to keep trees and shrubs likely to be troubled with it 

 continually sprayed with arsenical poison. 



Many palms are greatly disfigured and even injured by having 

 the epidermis of their leaves eaten, the refuse being deposited 

 along the surface. This is the work of a small Chrysomelid 

 beetle which looks to the ordinary observer exactly like a blue 

 ladybug. For several years I was deceived by this wretch, and 

 as I knew that ladybugs were the horticulturist's friends I was 

 always careful not to injure these gentry; I even distributed them 

 around, hoping that they might help me out. It is needless to 

 say that now I am not even polite to them any more. The 

 arsenical solutions would destroy them but they would disfigure 



