July 25, 1888.] 



Garden and Forest. 



257 



This spring (1888) I arranged beforehand to meet the inva- 

 sion. Commissioned by the United States Department of 

 Agricuhure as "Special Agent in tlie section of Vegetable 

 Pathology, to make expenments in the treatment of the 

 fungus diseases of the Grapevine," and "to report on the 

 same," I had in the conduct of these experiments made tlie ac- 

 cidental observation that certain preparations of copper-sul- 

 phate seemed distastefid to the rosebug, which abandoned 

 vines to which this poison had been applied. With the hope 

 that I might have discovered a remedy, I compounded, early 

 in May, the various formulas of copper-sulphate designed as 

 preventives of vine diseases ; applied them to the Experi- 

 ment Vineyard, and also May 29th, 

 so far as opportunity permitted, to 

 other of my vines which had been 

 devastated by rosebugs in 1887. 

 June 5th, 1888, the rosebugs came 

 again ; where they were worst the 

 previous year, they most abounded ■ 

 this year. 



Those vines sprayed with the 

 copper solutions May 29th were 

 the least infested. Whether this 

 protection was due to the presence 

 of the copper -sulphate on the 

 leaves and clusters, or whether the 

 absence of the bugs from these 

 poisoned vines was merely ac- 

 cidental, I cannot say. However, 

 on a patch of 'Concords (1,500 

 vines), about 100 yards distant 

 from those which were sprayed 

 with the copper, the rosebugs took 

 the entire crop ! I lacked the time 

 to take care of this vineyard. The 

 vines were simply pruned and 

 fastened to the stakes. The ground 

 was not even plowed. When the 

 rosebugs had full possession here 

 (about 500 bugs to the vine), I ex- 

 perimented with insecticides. I 

 sprayed two rows with a solution 

 of London purple, two rows with 

 a solution of Paris green, both 

 strong enough to badly burn the 

 foliage. A row was dusted with a 

 "bug powder," which has been 

 advertised, and another row with 

 another powder. The remaining 

 rows of the vineyard were sprayed 

 with the various copper-sulphate 

 solutions which I had previously 

 employed on other vines. In ad- 

 dition to these treatments I ex- 

 hausted my knowledge of chem- 

 istry and the toxicological pharma- 

 copceia in attempts to combat the 

 insect. No benefit came from 

 anything tried. When the rose- 

 bugs were done not a grape was 

 left ! Last week I had the vines 

 grubbed out. 



The vines which I have saved 

 (and they are sever.il thousand, 

 now loaded with fruit, and which 

 were infested with rosebugs) are 

 trained on a single wire trellis. 

 Anticipating the advent of the enemy, and for fungus disinfec- 

 tion, I had the ground beneath this trellis scraped smooth with 

 hoes. When the bugs pervaded these vineyards I sent men, 

 armed with broad wooden paddles made of half a barrel stave, 

 along the rows. A sharp tap of the paddle on the underside 

 of the wire would cause the bugs to fall to the smooth surface 

 of the ground beneath ; another sharp stroke of the paddle 

 disposed of them finally. In this manner we daily went over 

 some 10,000 vines for two weeks, and killed rosebugs by the 

 bushel, and in this way I consider I have saved the crop I have. 

 This bug-killing can only be effective in the early part of 

 the day, say up to 9 A. M. Disturbed suddenly in these early 

 hours they will fall to earth and lie still ; later in the dav tliev 

 will take wing. 



From one small Grapevine, badly infested, I took pains to 

 catch m a basin of kerosene (which kills the insect) and to 

 count the number of roselnigs. There were 1,627 ! Next day 

 I inspected this vine again, and rosebugs were as plenty on it 



as at first ! I have a white Rose for which these bugs have a 

 fondness. When this bush bloomed the rosebugs deserted 

 the neighboring Grapevines for it. I have counted 100 bugs 

 on a single flower, clustering over it so as to hide it. I made 

 this bush a ' martyr to science,' and drenched and sprayed it 

 with all known insecticides, including the bichloride of mer- 

 cury. I powdered it with all the powders, from white helle- 

 bore to carbolated lime. Riley's Kerosene Emulsion caused 

 the bugs to fly away promptly, but they were back again in an 

 hour, and in spite of all my applications they devoured every 

 rose on the bush. 



I conclude that the only practical way of getting rid of them 

 (and this at times v/ill be imprac- 

 ticable) is to crush them. 



There is a comfort, however, 

 to be drawn from a visit of rose- 

 bugs to the vineyard — its pro- 

 prietor is relieved of all anxiety 

 concerning the black rot. 



As for me, I have got past 

 Scylla, and am now worried about 

 Charybdis. I have forty or fifty 

 tons of Grapes yet, and the black 

 rot has appeared ! Concerning 

 this, what we have done to prevent 

 it, and what we purpose to ac- 

 complish, I will leave for another 

 letter. We have modified practice 

 in prevention of rot and mildew 

 this season, but it is yet too soon 

 to speak otherwise than hopefully 

 of the patient. 



Vineland, N. J. Alcx. W. Pear SOU. 



JI 



Fig. 42. — Phlox Stellaiia. — Sec page 2 



The Fruit Garden. 



HE setting of new Strawberry 

 beds is now in order. With 

 good plants from one's own 

 grounds, a favorahile season, and 

 proper care henceforward a good 

 crop may be reasonably counted 

 on next year. Sink two or three- 

 inch flower pots in the ground till 

 the rims are even with the surface, 

 upon each one place a "joint" 

 from a runner and hold it down 

 with a stone. When well rooted 

 sever it from the parent plant and 

 turn it out of the pot into the place 

 inteinled for it. 



Potted plants from one's own 

 ground are worth double those 

 purchased from a distance, many 

 of which are not allowed to get 

 sufficiently rooted before they are 

 sent out. In such cases good "layer 

 plants" — as plants rooted naturally 

 are termed — are far better. 



Beds of three rows, fifteen to 

 eighteen inches apart and the 

 plants the same distance in row. 

 make a very convenient bed for 

 a small garden where the culture 

 is by hand entirely. It is not a 

 liad practice to mow off the tops 

 of old beds, especially if they have 

 been troubled with the rust or blight of any kind, and when 

 dry burn them where thev fall. If evenly spread over the bed 

 the fire will not injure tlie crowns of the plants, and will de- 

 stroy the fungus and perhaps some insects at the same tune. 

 In a few weeks the new growth will present a vigorous, healthy 

 appearance, and the plants obtain a rest that seems beneficial. 

 Raspberry and Blackberry canes should have been behead- 

 ed when two or three feet high so as to make them stocky 

 and branch low. The ends of the branches themselves 

 should be pinched off once when diey are four to six inches 

 long. This d<nibles the bearing capacity of the iilant near the 

 truiik, enabling it to fiear its burden with greater ease than if 

 left to grow uncheeketl. 



It is iiot always safe to pinch these branches more than once, 



for fear the after growtli will not mature sufficiently to pass 



the winter without injury. It should all be done this month. 



and is unsafe if delayed later. 



Grape vines should be watched for insect depredators and 



