CHAPTER XVII 



Enemies of Plants 



WE wish to say just a few words in regard to the enemy. There 

 is such a diversity of little complaints of plants that we prefer 

 not to present elaborate discussions of the way insects and 

 diseases ravage the garden. The main method for controlling these 

 pests is to prevent them by the strictest sanitation. All diseased or 

 insect-infested parts must be burned; such stock must never be planted 

 in your clean garden or allowed to remain there if it has already started. 

 Land which is known to be infested with various pests must be avoided. 

 Standard remedies should be at hand, and sprays applied upon the 

 lirst signal of trouble. By the way, a method for spraying the plants 

 is essential. Get a good knapsack sprayer if you have a large garden, 

 and if a smaller garden buy one of the sprayers which resemble a squirt 

 gun. Good force is half the battle. Loaded with water alone it will 

 do much to keep the plant lice from getting a first hold. The best 

 sprayer is the one that throws a fine spray the longest distance. 



Keep down weeds which harbor diseases and insects. A method 

 which must not be scorned is hand picking when possible. Anything 

 which contributes toward the best culture of the plant will be found a 

 control for the enemies as well. If you have questions as to just how 

 to control any of the various maladies, consult your seedsman, florist, 

 nurseryman or the editor of your favorite garden paper. 



INSECTS 



Most of the miserable "bugs," so-called, are of two sorts those 

 which eat the leaves and those which merely puncture the leaf to suck 

 out the juice. The gardener should become more familiar with the 

 ways of the insects, for some are valuable and should be admirjed. 

 Those who have read Sir John Lubbock, Faber or Maeterlinck realize 

 that the insect world is quite as romantic as our own. 



Some of these insects are found on the roots, in which case the 

 plants affected are thought to be diseased. Some of these insects ac- 

 tually chew the roots, while others suck out the sap. The root lice may 

 be controlled by watering the plants with tobacco water. The Cab- 

 bage maggot can be prevented by placing a collar of tarred paper about 

 the young plants. 



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