28 GARDENING FOR YOUNG AND OLD. 



to shoot them, but Hellebore and Paris Green are more 

 effective implements of destruction than the rifle and 

 shot-gun. As soon as the plants appear, it is a good plan, 

 while the dew is on these, to dust them with White Helle- 

 bore powder. Paris Green is a more powerful remedy, 

 but needs to be applied, while the plants are young, in 

 very small doses. One of my men, this spring, when 

 we were applying Paris Green to the potatoes, took a 

 pailful of the water containing about a teaspoonful of the 

 Paris Green to the gallon, and applied it to the young 

 cucumber and melon vines in his garden. It killed many 

 of the plants, though it had no injurious effect whatever 

 on the potato vines. If Paris Green is used on melons, 

 cucumbers, squash, etc., I would put in a teaspoonful 

 of the poison to ten quarts of water, or say an ordinary 

 pailful, at the same time stirring into the water two 

 tablespoonfuls of White Hellebore powder. I have used 

 this mixture on young vines without injury. I do not 

 think it will kill all the bugs, but at any rate it greatly 

 lessens their numbers and gives the vines a chance to 

 grow. The real point is to apply the poisonous mix- 

 ture early enough. If you wait until the bugs appear, 

 they will be very apt to seriously injure the vines before 

 you notice them. 



As the vines grow larger the leaves become tougher 

 and less succulent, and there is more strength and vital- 

 ity in the plant. A stronger mixture of Paris Green, 

 therefore, can be used about the time the vines begin to 

 run. So far as my observation goes, the Striped-bug 

 attacks squash and pumpkin vines several days earlier 

 than the Squash-bug. This is fortunate, for the Squash- 

 bug is much more voracious and destructive to squashes 

 than the Striped-bug. Paris Green applied with water, 

 say about a tablespoonful to ten quarts, is as good a 

 remedy as can be used. I would put on a weak mixture 

 of Paris Green and Hellebore, say a teaspoonful of the 



