160 



THE C1.NADIAN H0KTICDLTUBI8T. 



adopted the name of Bubach for this 

 product. 



This powder is very peculiar in its 

 action. It is not poisonous to verte- 

 brate animals and may be even eaten 

 with impunity, but a little of the dust 

 blown upon an insect of almost any 

 kind is sure and speedy death. This 

 fact of being non-poisonous to man 

 renders its free use possible in the 

 house or on any plant or vegetable out 

 of doors. 



In using it as an insecticide the 

 general mode of application is by a 

 small bellows. So deadly is it that 

 thus thrown into the air of a closed 

 room tilled with flies a half hour or so 

 will find about every fly dead. The 

 operator can force the powder through 

 the air in a minute or two, step out 

 into the pure air, closing the door, and 

 in a short time return to find the room 

 well rid of the pests. The only trouble 

 thus using it in the house is that the 

 dust will settle upon everything in the 

 room. It it be placed on papers or 

 plates and placed about the room the 

 flies will get at it the same as other 

 preparations for the purpose and be de- 

 stroyed, but this is rather a slow process. 



Pyrethrum will destroy bees, wasps, 

 ants, most of the beetles and some of 

 the true bugs (hemiptera) plant lice, 

 mosquitoes, etc., but some of the bugs 

 and beetles withstand its influence. 



Pyrethrum may also be used with 

 water. Prof Cook finds that a table- 

 spoonful in two g.illons of water will 

 destroy insects when sprayed on plants 

 infested by them. He also recom- 

 mends it for use on horses in fly time. 

 For this purpose put a small spoonful 

 into a bottle of warm water and take it 

 to the field with the team, or in the 

 wagon, if driving, and once in two or 

 three hours apply it by a sponge on the 

 legs, under the lower jaw, about the 

 loin and sides or whei'ever the flies are 

 troublesome. We have tried it on 



potato bugs, striped cucumber bugs, 

 etc., but without any very good results. 

 Paris green is certainly preferable for 

 potato bugs. But taken all in all we 

 are satisfied that pyrethrum is the 

 safest and most useful insecticide that 

 we have for general insect destruction. 

 For the spx-aying of large trees to get 

 rid of web worms, etc., however, Lon- 

 don purple or some other of the arseni- 

 cal preparations are most useful. Soft 

 soap, a pint to the pailful of soft water, 

 will also kill aphis on fruit trees, 

 cherry and pear slugs, etc. Shower it 

 with a force pump and hose. — The 

 Farmer. . 



Striped Beetle on Cucumbers, 

 Squashes and Melons [Dlabrotica vit- 

 tata). — This is a well-known, small, de- 

 structive insect which makes its appear- 

 ance as as soon as the leaves begin to 

 expand, and a number of broods are 

 produced during the course of the sea- 

 son. It is to the young plants that the 

 insect is most injurious, and the great 

 secret in dealing with it is to begin the 

 treatment positively in advance of the 

 insect's appearance. 



Remedy. — To two quarts of plaster, 

 wood ashes, or flour of bone, add one 

 tablespoonful of kerosene, rubbing the 

 mixture between the hand until the 

 oil is well distributed. Sift or hand 

 sprinkle this over the plants as soon as. 

 the first leaves appear, repeating it a 

 few times until all are through the 

 ground, and also later if this be 

 required. 



Black Squash Bug {Anasa iristis 

 De Geer). — About the last of June, 

 throughout the north, these trouble- 

 some bugs appear on squash-vines, and 

 lay their patches of eggs, which soon 

 develop into troublesome broods. A. 

 most striking characteristic of the in- 

 sect is its otfensive odor when handled 

 or crushed. As the eggs ai-e not all 



