684 



Gardening for Amateurs 



PESTS OF FLOWERING PLANTS 

 Rose. The queen of garden flowers, the 

 Rose, is subject to attack from many insect 

 and fungoid pests. The greyish-white Mil- 

 dew often causes great loss, yet with simple 

 precautions this ought not to be the case. 

 The fungus causes the leaves to twist and 

 assume a blistered appearance, while flower 

 buds and young shoots soon become dis- 

 torted and rendered unhealthy. Bad treat- 

 ment is generally the cause ; the Roses 

 must be grown in a well-drained position, 

 free from draughts and judiciously manured. 

 For mild attacks the foliage is dusted with 

 a mixture of 2 parts lime and 1 part sulphur. 

 Liver of sulphur or Bordeaux Mixture will 

 eradicate a more virulent attack. A yel- 

 lowish or brownish Rust, or Brand, as it 

 is called, attacks the under sides of the 

 leaves ; this is not so destructive as the 

 former, but badly infested parts may be 

 removed and a good fungicide freely used. 

 Greenflies gather in colonies on the younger 

 shoots or leaves and absorb nourishing 

 fluid from the bush ; soapy water is a 

 simple remedy. The leaves of the Rose 

 may be torn or " sawn " by the larvae of 

 many different kinds of Sawflies. To re- 

 move them place a sheet of brown paper 

 smeared with tar or treacle round the bush, 

 and shake the branches vigorously. Paris 

 Green, prepared as advised later, will kill 

 them, and insecticides will keep the parent 

 insects from the bush. The beautifully 

 coloured Rose Beetle, or Rose-chafer, eats the 

 flower buds, and should be picked off in 

 good time. Scale insects may be found on 

 the stems of forced Roses ; they are like 

 tiny shells or scales, and do a great amount 

 of damage by removing much sap. Use 

 Gishurst Compound or fir tree oil as 

 directed. 



Always spray fresh bushes from the 

 nursery with an insecticide or fungicide as 

 soon as they are received. This prevents 

 further attacks from pests, and ensures that 

 no new ones are introduced. Never waste 

 any time when trouble is noticed among 

 the plants, for some pests spread with 

 startling rapidity. 



Sweet Pea. Sweet Peas are subject to 

 many diseases, but the worst of these is 

 known as Streak. It is a bacterial pest, not 



yet properly identified ; the leaves turn 

 yellow gradually, often in streaks, then 

 brown, and eventually the plant collapses 

 and dies. If the roots are examined the 

 nodules wherein live the helpful nitrogen- 

 fixing bacteria are seen to be dead or absent. 

 The only remedy is to sterilise the soil. 

 Doubtless the disease is due to over-manur- 

 ing with nitrogen fertilisers and dung, bad 

 systems of cultivation, and over-specialisa- 

 tion of varieties. The unfavourable weather 

 conditions of the past few years may be a con- 

 tributory cause, and there is no doubt that 

 plants which have received a check at some 

 time are more liable to attack than others. 

 Applications of lime and potash should 

 be worked in the soil as a preventive and 

 phosphatic manures not neglected. Plants 

 may be watered with soft water coloured 

 to a rose tint with permanganate of potash, 

 and iron sulphate, J oz. per square yard, 

 should be spread on the soil in autumn. As 

 the disease is carried by the seeds, we 

 strongly recommend that the Peas be 

 steeped for five minutes in the rose-pink 

 permanganate solution mentioned. 



Various insect pests attack the Sweet Pea, 

 but an occasional use of some insecticide 

 after these are noticed will keep them in 

 check. Of late years, too, Mildews, Moulds, 

 and other fungoid pests have been recorded 

 from some parts. Bordeaux Mixture may 

 be used for these when they appear, but 

 plants badly attacked should be burned. 



Dahlia. Dahlia growers never neglect 

 placing a small pot filled with crushed 

 paper or dry moss on the top of each stake 

 to attract the dirty, destructive earwigs. 

 Shake the pests out every day into some 

 hot water. 



With judicious manuring, a balanced 

 combination of fertilisers, not too much 

 organic manure, and a little attention, 

 diseases are at a discount ; the petting and 

 coddling of many enthusiasts has led to 

 their disappointment and failure. 



SOIL PESTS 



The soil is the birthplace and nursery of 

 many pests. Quite a large number of 

 insects deposit their eggs in or on the soil ; 

 the larval and pupal stages are often passed 

 in it ; while quite a number of the insects 



