43 



SLUGS. 



Under this general term the gardener usiiall}- recognizes cater- 

 piHar-like creatnres that feed upon his roses, cnrrants and some- 

 times pear and eherrj- foliage. 



The currant slug is well Icnown and when unchecked defoliates the 

 plants completel}-. leaving only half-grown or ripening fruit, without 

 a trace of shelter. On roses the foliage is scraped, the leaves turn 

 brown, shrivel, and tlae plants lose their beauty in proportion to the 

 number of insects that feed upon them. The currant slug is green, 

 with large black spots, and has the habit of curling the end segments 

 of the body around the edge of the leaf. The rose slugs are green, as 

 a rule, without obvious 

 spots, and, while there are 

 some that have much the 

 Siime habits as those formd 

 on the currant, there are 

 others that feed on the 

 upper surface only and 

 are fully extended. 



On pear and cherrj'^ the 

 upper side of the leaf is 

 scraped and the slug i& 

 blackish-brown or very 

 dark olive green, without 

 spots or marks, viscid or 

 gummy in appearance and 

 to the touch. The parents 

 of these slugs are saw flies, 

 and are inconspicuous, transparent, winged insects, rarely seen by 

 the gardener. There is quite a variation in the life history, but as 

 the life history does not aid us in the conh'ol of these species it vrill 

 not be necessary to go into detail. 



All these slugs or saw-fly larvce are peculiarly susceptible to the 

 action of white hellebore, and a decoction of white hellebore is the 

 most usual remedy to be applied. The decoction is made by steeeping 

 an ounce of the powder in a quart of boiling hot water and adding 

 sufficient cold water to make one gallon of spraying mixture. Thor- 

 oughly applied this will kill any of the slugs in short order. It 



Fig. 84. 



The pe&r slugtOaiii'oacerasi: a, adult; b, c, larva frooi side 



and above ; all enlarged ; d, leaves eaten by the 



larvEe. From Biv. Ent,, U. S. Dept Agl. 



