STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 12T, 



ENEMIES AND HOW TO DESTROY THEM. 



Like all the most beautiful things in nature, the charming rose 

 has its enemies in insects of various kinds. The most common 

 are the rose chaffer or bug (macrodactylus subspinosus)., the 

 green fly (aphis) and the rose slug (sclandria rosea). As we 

 cannot have good flowers without fane foliage, it is of the utmost 

 importance that we attend to the destruction of these insects at 

 the very outset. 



The first to appear is the slug, a little green worm that glues 

 the tender leaves together for its harbor till the form of a bud 

 appears, when in a night it will destroy several. Dust your 

 bushes well with hellebore and press firmly every leaf you see 

 tied together by the slug. 



The next is the detestable rose bug. Hand picking, btushing 

 them into hot water, covering the bushes with netting and spray- 

 ing are the only remedies we know. 



Then later the aphis or green fly. At once dust the bush 

 thoroughly with tobacco dust, while wet with dew and in mid- 

 day spray the entire foliage with a liquid. 



(i) Kerosene emulsion: Dissolve one-half pound bar soap 

 in one gallon boiling water, add two gallons of kerosene oil ; 

 while warm, agitate it until it forms a creamy mass. Dilute 

 with fifteen parts of water for spraying foliage. Or 



(2) Steep one pound of tobacco in five gallons of water. Or 



(3) Whale oil soap: One pound to eight gallons water. 

 Either of these solutions will be found effectual. 



There is one more enemy of our beloved rose, — a parasitical 

 fungus known as mildew, and it is very destructive to the growth 

 of the plants. When grayish white spots appear on the leaves 

 of roses or grape vines, it is certain that mildew is present. The 

 best remedy known to the most practical growers is made by 

 taking three pounds each of flour of sulphur and quicklime, put 

 together and slake the lime and add six gallons of water. Boil 

 all together until it is reduced to two gallons. Allow the liquid 

 to settle until it gets clear, then bottle for use. One gill only of 

 this is to be mixed in five gallons of water and syringe over the 

 entire foliage at evening. Apply this once a week during the 

 growing season and you will not be troubled with a speck of 



