Diseases and Injurious Insects 



A pest which is responsible for a great many of our worst 

 failures in plant cultivation is Thrips, as it attacks some of our 

 most delicate and most finely leaved plants, and from the fact 

 that this insect is so very small, it is generally not noticed until 

 considerable damage has been done. 



It feeds only on the juices and fleshy parts of the leaves, leav- 

 ing the fibrous parts untouched, giving the plant a withered, 

 blighted appearance. 



This insect may be recognized by its narrow, black or brown 

 body, and its four straight narrow wings which are fringed with 

 hairs in saw-like edges. There are several varieties, but as they 

 are all equally destructive and yield to the same treatment, it is 

 unnecessary to further refer to their identification. When the 

 pest is found to be infesting a green-house, the fumigating treat- 

 ment as recommended for Aphides produces satisfactory results. 

 When the insect is found on shrubs out of doors, the plants should 

 be well syringed with tobacco water, care also being taken to see 

 that the plants are well watered at the roots, this watering giving 

 additional vigor to the plants which will tend to render the Thrip 

 attack harmless. 



The Red Spider is a small eight-legged mite which receives 

 its name from its color (always of a rusty red). It has the spider 

 habit of spinning a fine web, generally on the under side of the 

 leaves of trees. It is so small that it is almost invisible to the 

 naked eye. 



When Red Spiders establish themselves on a plant, they spin 

 webs of very fine texture on the under side of the leaves. Then 

 by means of their suckers they bore into the leaves and suck out 

 the juice or sap. The leaf becomes yellow and covered with 

 spots, ultimately dies and drops prematurely. Sometimes an 

 attack of this pest strips the tree months before the usual time; 

 if a fruit tree, the crop for the year fails, and besides, the branches 

 formed for the following year are stunted and immature. 



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