INSECT AND OTHEE PLANT ENEMIES. 



105 



gener, and feeds on various garden plants near 

 the banks of streams. 



Remedies. — Encourage owls about the premises, 

 and allow them to breed and rear their young. 

 There is no better remedy, for they destroy 

 vermin in incredible numbers. Hawks, kites, 

 jays, magpies, weasels, and stoats, as well as cats, 

 are the natural enemies of this class of pests. 

 It would be dangerous to lay poison about a 

 garden. Field mice are very shy of traps, but 

 deep vessels sunk in the ground frequented by 

 them, greased on the edges and partly filled 

 with water, or holes dug in the soil, and wider 

 at the bottom than the top, will cause large 

 numbers to fall in and so be detained till de- 

 stroyed. Bank voles can be caught in traps of 

 the ordinary kind, but the perpetual mouse-trap, 

 baited with cheese, will catch large numbers, 

 and requires no setting, but merely emptying. 



Garden Chafer (Phyllopertha horticola). — 

 This beetle in the larva or grub stage feeds upon 

 the roots of various garden plants and grass. 

 For description and remedies see under Leaf 

 Enemies. The remedies prescribed for the 

 Cockchafer under Koot Enemies will also apply 

 here. 



Gardenia-root Disease (Heterodera radici- 

 cola). — This troublesome and often fatal disease 

 is caused by a microscopical animal belonging 

 to the order of nematoids. The young animals 

 resemble minute eels. The full-grown male is 

 shorter, stouter, and suddenly narrowed to a 

 point at the tail end. The female, when filled 



remedy is known that will kill the pest without 

 killing the infected plants. The latter should 

 at once be destroyed by burning, to prevent 

 healthy ones from being attacked if possible. 



Fig. 134.— Transverse Section of Diseased Gardenia Root. 



ft. Immature cysts, oc. Mature cysts with eggs containing young worms. 

 mt. Characteristic morhid tissue, xp. Primary, and xs, secondary 

 wood. pd. Periderm (all magnified 50 times). 



with eggs, is shaped like a water-bottle, and 

 entirely fills the cavity of the root where she 

 is found. 



Remedies. — This pest comes with infested 

 soil, and sometimes possibly in the water. No 



Fig. 135.— Diseased Roots of Gardenia. 



The soil in which it grew should be treated in 

 the same way, and fresh material obtained from 

 a different source for potting purposes. Dilute 

 solutions of permanganate of potassium will, 

 however, destroy any eel-worms that may be in 

 it. Tanks should be emptied and then washed 

 with a similar solution, which is harmless to 

 plant life. 



Ghost Swift Moth (Rejnalus Humuli). — 

 This swift- flying moth measures 2 inches to 

 2 h inches across the wings. Those of the male 

 are snow - white above, and brownish - black 

 beneath. The female has the fore-wings dull- 

 yellow, with a brick-red border and central 

 spots. The caterpillar is whitish-yellow with a 

 reddish-brown head, and feeds upon the roots 

 of Lettuces, Strawberries, Hop, and various other 

 plants, from August to April, nettles being- 

 favourite food. The Common Swift (H. hq.ni- 

 linus) is only about half the size, with pale- 

 brown wings and some white streaks. It has 

 similar habits, and feeds on similar plants of a 

 herbaceous kind. 



Remedies. — The roots of plants seen to be 

 flagging without apparent cause should be 

 examined, and if the caterpillars are present 

 they may readily be collected and destroyed, 



