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  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATP: 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Study 
  of 
  American 
  Myriapoda 
  Desired. 
  

   The 
  Myriapoda, 
  a 
  class 
  embracing 
  the 
  centipedes 
  and 
  millipedes, 
  have 
  

   not 
  been 
  given 
  much 
  study 
  in 
  this 
  country, 
  and 
  therefore 
  comparatively 
  

   little 
  is 
  known 
  of 
  them, 
  either 
  scientifically 
  or 
  in 
  their 
  economic 
  relations. 
  

   Many 
  of 
  the 
  millipedes 
  feed 
  only 
  on 
  decaying 
  vegetable 
  matter 
  and 
  are, 
  

   therefore, 
  of 
  minor 
  economic 
  importance. 
  Of 
  those 
  recognized 
  as 
  in- 
  

   jurious 
  to 
  vegetation 
  from 
  attacking 
  living 
  plants, 
  we 
  are 
  still 
  without 
  

   knowledge 
  of 
  such 
  approved 
  methods 
  of 
  dealing 
  with 
  them 
  as 
  will 
  ensure 
  

   protection 
  from 
  their 
  varied 
  forms 
  of 
  attack 
  — 
  especially 
  when 
  so 
  

   severe 
  and 
  general 
  as 
  above 
  reported 
  in 
  the 
  Kansas 
  City 
  greenhouses. 
  

   To 
  meet 
  such 
  an 
  emergency, 
  we 
  can 
  only 
  give 
  a 
  few 
  remedies 
  that 
  have 
  

   been 
  recommended, 
  and 
  suggest 
  some 
  methods 
  which 
  give 
  promise 
  of 
  

   being 
  aidful 
  if 
  not 
  entirely 
  efficient. 
  

  

  Remedies. 
  

  

  Lime 
  has 
  been 
  represented 
  as 
  a 
  remedy 
  by 
  several 
  writers, 
  yet 
  it 
  has 
  

   not 
  apparently 
  been 
  of 
  particular 
  service 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  infestation. 
  

   John 
  Curtis, 
  the 
  eminent 
  author 
  of 
  " 
  Farm 
  Insects," 
  states 
  that 
  soot 
  

   spread 
  over 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  will 
  drive 
  the 
  plant-feeding 
  milli- 
  

   peds 
  away, 
  and 
  also 
  recommends 
  spreading 
  old 
  cabbage 
  leaves 
  as 
  a 
  bait 
  

   for 
  attracting 
  them, 
  when 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  killed 
  with 
  hot 
  water. 
  

  

  As 
  they 
  are 
  mainly 
  nocturnal 
  feeders, 
  many 
  can 
  be 
  killed 
  by 
  lifting 
  

   the 
  pots 
  and 
  sprinkling 
  diluted 
  or 
  pure 
  kerosene 
  on 
  the 
  worms 
  gathered 
  

   beneath, 
  or 
  wherever 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  benches 
  or 
  elsewhere. 
  

   The 
  kerosene 
  may 
  be 
  diluted 
  by 
  shaking 
  it 
  briskly 
  in 
  a 
  pot, 
  or 
  better 
  

   still 
  by 
  making 
  it 
  into 
  a 
  strong 
  emulsion. 
  Pyrethrum 
  and 
  powdered 
  

   hellebore 
  might 
  each 
  be 
  experimented 
  with 
  as 
  a 
  contact 
  insecticide, 
  

   either 
  in 
  its 
  powdered 
  state 
  or 
  mixed 
  with 
  water. 
  

  

  Probably 
  the 
  best 
  results 
  would 
  be 
  obtained 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  traps 
  or 
  

   baits. 
  Small 
  pieces 
  of 
  board 
  laid 
  on 
  a 
  damp 
  surface 
  would 
  be 
  attractive 
  

   as 
  hiding 
  places. 
  Dr. 
  Fitch 
  states 
  : 
  " 
  On 
  raising 
  up 
  a 
  chip 
  or 
  fragment 
  

   of 
  board 
  that 
  happens 
  to 
  be 
  lying 
  anywhere 
  in 
  the 
  garden, 
  you 
  will 
  

   probably 
  find 
  lurking 
  under 
  it 
  a 
  dozen 
  or 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  fifty 
  of 
  these 
  worms." 
  

  

  The 
  traps 
  would 
  be 
  much 
  more 
  efficient 
  if 
  made 
  more 
  attractive 
  by 
  

   placing 
  beneath 
  them 
  slices 
  of 
  potatoes, 
  turnips, 
  or 
  carrots. 
  In 
  England, 
  

   slices 
  of 
  mangolds 
  have 
  proved 
  to 
  be 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  baits 
  that 
  could 
  be 
  

   employed. 
  If 
  the 
  baits 
  were 
  poisoned 
  by 
  dipping 
  them 
  into 
  a 
  Paris 
  green 
  

   mixture, 
  it 
  would 
  not 
  be 
  necessary 
  to 
  visit 
  them 
  so 
  often 
  for 
  the 
  collec- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  worms. 
  

  

  