492 



GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



FIG. 64. Thrips. 



i and 2. Immature Thrips. 3 and 4. Mature Thrips. 

 8 and 9. Other species of Thrips. 



umbrella or a piece of board freshly tarred or painted, so as to be sticky, should be held 

 so that the weevils can be shaken on to them. The Black Vine weevil is about $ inch 

 in length, and is of a dark brown colour or black colour ; the other species is somewhat 

 smaller, and is of a pale brown colour. The Apple blossom weevil (Anthonomus 



pomorutri) is a much smaller 

 species ; it lays its eggs in the 

 opening flower-buds of the 

 Apple, which soon hatch, and 

 the grubs feed on the flowers, 

 at times completely ruining 

 the crop. When the weevils 

 are seen on the trees they may 

 be shaken down on to cloths 

 or something sticky. Thrips 

 (Thrips adonidum, and other 

 species) is an insect that is 

 very annoying in greenhouses, 

 where it may be killed by the 

 same means as recommended 

 in the case of green-fly or 

 aphides. Out of doors it 

 seldom does much harm, but 

 Carnations, Dahlias, Phloxes, 

 and some other plants are at 

 times injured by them. To 

 consider now some 



Garden Pests that are not 

 really Insects. The mites 

 stand first, among them the red spider (Tetranychus tellarius] is the best known. As a 

 rule, the plants that suffer most from them are too dry at the root ; and in greenhouses the 

 want of proper ventilation is generally the cause. The red spider delights in warmth, dry- 

 ness, and a still atmosphere. When a plant is infested by them it should be syringed with 

 paraffin emulsion : to every 5 gallons add i oz. of sulphide of potassium ; or, with Ib. of 

 flowers of sulphur, i Ib. of fresh lime, boiled in 2 gallons of water, then add f Ib. of soft 

 soap, and when all is well mixed 2 gallons more water. Another very injurious mite 

 is the Currant mite (Phytoptus ribis), which infests the buds of Black Currants, causing 

 them to swell, but not to open properly, so that when many of the buds on a shoot 

 are attacked it is rendered useless to the plant. The best remedy is to pick off these 

 buds early in the spring, or cut off the entire shoot, and burn them. Another mite, the 

 bulb mite (Rhizo%lyphus echinopus], is the cause of much injury to bulbs at times. 

 They may usually be found at 

 the base of the bulbs between 

 the scales, or among the roots 

 where they join the bulb. 

 Various methods have been 

 suggested for destroying them, 

 but none of them are very satis- 

 factory, perhaps soaking them 

 in water at a temperature of 

 120 degrees or 125 degrees 

 Fahr. for fifteen or twenty 

 minutes will kill them ; for, if 

 placed in water at 115 degrees 

 Fahr. (away from the bulb), 

 they will die within five minutes. 

 The snake millipedes (Julidce) 

 are often mistaken for insects, 

 but there should be no difficulty 

 in recognising them, as instead 

 of having only three pairs of 

 legs they have a very large 

 number. These creatures are very injurious to the roots of plants, and are difficult to 

 destroy with any insecticide, as they are tough and horny. A strong solution of salt or 

 nitrate of soda will kill them if it can be made to reach them. They may be trapped 

 by means of slates, tiles, &c. , laid about ; they move very slowly, and so may be easily 

 distinguished from the centipedes (Lithobiusforjicatus}> which they somewhat resemble. 



FIG. 65. Snake millipedes. 



Julus londinensis. 2. and 3. Blanjulus guttulatus 

 (nat. size and mag.). 4. Julus terrestris. 5. Teller. 

 6 and 7. Polydesmus complanatus (nat. size and mag.). 



