Gardening for Amateurs 



679 



A strong paraffin emulsion or the caustic 

 winter wash will go a long way towards 

 removing the pests (recipes given at end 

 of chapter). The Codlin Moth gums her 

 eggs singly to the flowers ; the larvae are 

 born in time to eat into the fruits, and these 

 are made to fall before they are ripe. The 

 small Ermine Moth and the Lackey Moth 

 and many others are also virulent pests 

 in some districts. Sometimes small dark 

 scales, like tiny mussel shells, may be 

 noticed on the branches and trunk of a 

 tree ; this, the Mussel Scale, should be 

 bni3hed off and the tree treated with some 

 strong horticultural wasli or insecticide. 



American Blight, caused by the presence 

 of an insect termed the Woolly Aphis, is 

 becoming quite a plague. The insect is 

 covered with fine down, hence the name, 

 and, hidden under its protective covering, 

 it sucks the nutritive sap from the tree. 

 Considerable force is necessary when spray- 

 ing for this pest, in order to pierce through 

 and reach the insect. Weevils deposit eggs 

 on the flower 

 buds, and the 

 tiny grubs, 

 when born, 

 eat their way 

 into the buds 

 and destroy 

 the stamens 

 and pistil. 

 Canker, a fun- 

 goid pest, 

 often follows 

 bad attacks 

 from insects, 

 particularly 

 the Woolly 

 Aphis ; dis- 

 eased warty 

 growths ap- 

 pear over old 

 wounds or 



punctures. 



T^a ^ 1 T 

 [1 L J 



remedy of 

 any avail is to cut off these with a sharp 

 knife and coat the parts with tar wood-tar 

 preferably. Canker is often the sign of bad 

 manuring ; a good antiseptic manure to 

 use for diseased trees consists of basic slag 



10 parts, sulphate of iron 1 part, in winter, 

 at the rate of 1 Ib. per fair-sized tree, with 

 2 oz. saltpetre applied in spring. A Mildew, 

 spreading over the foliage like a grey dust, 

 may also cause much loss, but Apricots and 

 Pears are more troubled with this than 

 Apples. 



Pear. Pears also are infested with a 

 Leaf Spot Fungus, easily identified, and the 

 tiny mites on the foliage remove much 

 nourishment and reduce the tree's prolific- 

 ness. Another fungus causes the fruits to 

 crack and spoils their appearance. 



Whatever pest appears on the trees must 

 be carefully watched. If opening buds and 

 young shoots are attacked strong washes 

 should be used in winter ; if flowers and fruits 

 are eaten and destroyed spring insecticides 

 or paraffin emulsion must be employed ; 

 while all through the summer an occa- 

 sional horticultural wash should be sprayed 

 on the trees if any pests are noticed. The 

 foest winter wash is the Woburn caustic 

 liquid or the calcium sulphide preparation, 



Some Enemies of the Gardener and a Friend. 



A. Grub of the Raspberry Fruit Beetle ; B, Stem Eelw 

 Lackey Moth on a twig: Dl and D2, Vapourer Moth ar 



(a friendly beetle which eats aphides); F, A Weevil which eats apple blossoms: G, The 

 Earwig: Hi and H2. Large White Cabbage Butterfly and Caterpillar. 



ch enlarged): C, Eggs of the 

 ts Caterpillar ; E, Spotted Lady Bird 



which is easy to make and apply. For all 

 fungi Bordeaux Mixture is the most effec- 

 tive remedy, or a solution of liver of sulphur 

 in water. These and an arsenical spray 

 for grubs which eat the foliage will be given 



