The Pests of Garden Plants 



THRIPS 

 Thrips minutissima 



render them inconspicuous. But the black deposit they make 

 reveals their existence to the experienced eye, and the debili- 

 tated condition of the plants they have attacked would soon compel 

 attention were there no such deposit to tell the tale. The Indian 

 Azaleas are apt to be beset by Thrips, as the Grape-vine is by 

 Scale, the Pineapple by Mealy Bug, and the Rose by Green Aphis. 



Atmospheric humidity is a 

 powerful preventive, as is also 

 the promotion of vigorous 

 growth by a plentiful supply 

 of water to the roots of the 

 plants , in fact, starvation 

 and a dry, hot air will soon 

 bring an attack of Thrips. 

 Generally speaking, the best 

 remedy is fumigation with 

 tobacco. Or tobacco water 

 and a solution of soft soap, 

 together or separately, if carefully applied, speedily make an end 

 of this troublesome pest. A special preparation may be made as 

 follows : Take six pounds of soft soap, and dissolve in twelve gallons 

 of water, add half a gallon of strong tobacco water, and dip the 

 plants in the mixture. Before they become dry, dip again in pure 

 rainwater to remove the mixture. If too large to dip, apply the 

 mixture with the syringe, and in the course of a quarter of an hour 

 or so syringe with pure rainwater. Our illustration shows the Thrips 

 in the larval and winged state, natural size and greatly magnified. 



Ants. These extremely interesting insects are often troublesome. 

 If the nests can be located boiling water will destroy them. On a 

 lawn this remedy cannot be employed, but a paste made of Paris 

 green (which is a poison) and brown sugar persistently dropped from 

 a brush along their runs will kill them. 



Caterpillars cannot often be treated in a wholesale way 

 without injury to the plant. Hence it is usual to rely on hand- 

 picking, and, tedious as this may be, a little perseverance will 

 accomplish wonders. We have seen a fruit garden, literally hideous 

 with clusters of Caterpillars in spring, completely cleared by a few 

 days' steady work, costing but a trifle, and only needing to be 

 conducted so that in removing the vermin there should be no harm 



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