INSECTS AND DISEASES 6l 



should be allowed for each square foot of surface 

 treated. This should be enough to saturate the soil 

 at least one foot in depth. The soil treated should 

 be covered with burlap to retain the fumes for a day 

 or two and then thoroughly aired for at least a week 

 before planting. The latter precaution offers a 

 serious objection to the use of formalin under green- 

 house conditions inasmuch as it means a loss of a 

 week's time, in many cases during the most profit- 

 able part of the season. Over small areas, espe- 

 cially under outdoor home conditions, the soil may 

 be effectively disinfected by surface firing, which 

 will greatly lessen the dangers from these troubles 

 in the seed and plant beds. The common practice 

 of burning brush heaps in the preparation of the soil 

 for cabbage, tomato and tobacco plants is doubtless 

 based upon the greater freedom from some of these 

 common soil diseases. 



Successful treatment of the common insects and 

 diseases of the garden is not possible without the 

 necessary spraying machinery of sufficient capacity to 

 do effective work. Many people make the mistake of 

 attempting to spray with outfits entirely too small. As a 

 consequence, the work is very poorly done and usually 

 too late for the best results. The operator becomes 

 discouraged and gives up in disgust. With many 

 of the low-growing plants of the garden, when the 

 areas involved are not too large, the better type of 

 knapsack sprayers gives splendid results. This 

 type of sprayer, however, should be looked upon 

 as a sort of emergency outfit to catch the smaller 

 areas and the scattered infected plants. Where any 

 considerable area is involved the smallest outfit 

 that can be expected to give effective results is the 

 barrel outfit. Indeed, it may be taken as the unit 



