GARDEN INSECTS 315 



occur in such vast multitudes that the plant is all consumed before 

 all the insects are supplied with the poison. Fortunately, this does 

 not often occur in garden practice. 



For larvae which come from the ground and destroy the plant 

 by cutting the stem, Paris green and arsenate of lead, either dust or 

 sprinkle, may be placed on tender leaves or sprigs of alfalfa .which 

 are placed on the ground beside the plant to be protected. The 

 most injurious insects of this kind are called "cutworms." It is 

 also often satisfactory to use the poison in this way: Take thirty 

 pounds bran, two pints molasses, one pound Paris green ; put the 

 molasses into six quarts of hot water, add the bran and Paris green, 

 mixing thoroughly until the water is tinged with green. Place a 

 spoonful of this near the plants and wherever the worms are, not 

 getting it too near the stalk. If a new lot of worms hatch, the dose 

 will have to be repeated. 



The same preparation is also very effective for grasshoppers 

 in vineyards, but there is little chance of coping with grasshoppers 

 or army worms in the garden by poisoning. Unless they can be 

 checked by walls of fire or streams of running water around the 

 garden, the gardener has little to do but to replant as soon as they 

 have passed on their way. 



When biting insects attack plants which it is not thought safe 

 to poison, the use of a powder of air-slacked lime or of dry wood 

 ashes is often effective in discouraging their attacks. Another 

 repellant which sometimes works like a charm is kerosene powder, 

 made by stirring a tablespoonful of the oil to a quart of pulverized 

 gypsum, or air-slacked lime, or even fine road dust. Scatter it on 

 and around the plant. 



Plants may also be often rendered unattractive to insects by 

 free sprinkling with tar water. Take a barrel with a few gallons 

 of gas tar in it, pour water on the tar, and have it always ready 

 when needed. When the insects appear give them a liberal dose 

 of the tar water from a garden sprinkler or otherwise ; when the 

 rain washes it off the leaves, or the pests return, repeat the dose. 



There are other biting and boring insects which destroy plants 

 by their injuries to the roots. Wireworms are a conspicuous group 

 of these destroyers. All underground pests are naturally difficult 

 of treatment and often in field practice they can not be economically 

 destroyed or discouraged. In garden practice, however, the use of 

 soot or nitrate of soda, in very small quantities, or of tobacco dust, 



