May, 1910 



T HE CARD E N M A G A Z I N E 



237 



such outfits, and a variety of sizes, each with 

 its special advantages. To make a selec- 

 tion, the best way is to get the printed liter- 

 ature of the manufacturers and become 

 acquainted with the merits claimed by each 

 and when the time comes to purchase you 

 will be able intelligently to select the style 

 suited to your needs. 



THE NOZZLE 



Quite as important as the pump itself 

 is the nozzle — indeed, the efficiency of the 

 "spray" rests here. A good spray nozzle 

 should produce a fine mist-like spray and be 

 equipped with a disgorger that will do its 

 work. There are a number of such nozzles. 

 There is also the misnamed Bordeaux, 

 a very poor makeshift, of very little use for 

 spraying that mixture. 



The Mistry nozzle has several good points 

 to recommend it. The spray issues through 

 a thin metal plate; the volume can be regu- 

 lated by having several plates with different 

 sized holes in them, using the one suited to the 

 work in hand. This change can be quickly 

 made, as every adjustment is easily effected 

 with the fingers only. No tools are required. 

 It can be set to spray straight ahead, or 

 given a one-eighth or one-quarter turn; 

 saving an extra bend. With this nozzle 

 attached to a two-foot pipe extension, both 

 sides of the row and the underside of the 

 foliage can be sprayed at one passage. 



POWDER-BELLOWS AND SIFTERS 



Powder forms of both insecticides and 

 fungicides are often used and have proved 

 effective for some purposes. The ordinary 

 method of applying powder ■ — through holes 

 punched in the bottom of a tin can — is very 

 wasteful, but can 

 be made very effi- 

 cient by using a 

 screw-top can, per- 

 forated with very 

 fine holes; so that 

 it is necessary to 

 strike the can to 

 cause the powder 

 to sift through 

 these perforations ; 

 this forces the pow- 

 der through in a 

 fine dust which set- 

 tles on the plant. 

 There are some 

 very good powder 

 guns on the mar- 

 ket, but' they are 

 better adapted to 

 the large grower 

 than to the home 

 gardener, because 

 of their price and 

 the small amount 

 of work suited to 

 them, and the price 

 prohibits their use 

 by the latter class. 

 For home use 

 _. ^ „,„ , either of the pow- 



This trap will kill moles, • . r 



but you must study the Oer DellOWS IS Det- 

 animal's habits ter. The long- 



handled one with the funnel-shaped nozzle, 

 .known as the Acme powder bellows, is very 

 low in price, and does all that the makers 

 claim. The funnel-shaped nozzle has a small 

 funnel attached to the inside by a wire spring, 

 this spreads the powder dust and can be 

 removed when not needed. The funnel can 

 be removed or set straight, although in the 

 form shown it has been the easiest to use. 

 The nozzle is unscrewed and one-quarter 

 of a pound of powder, no more, is poured 

 directly into the bellows. It is operated 

 by quick pressure on the handles, the 

 quicker the strokes the greater the blast of 

 powder. If done when no wind is blowing, 

 this dust settles all over the plant in a very 

 thin layer, yet heavy enough to be effective. 

 The Woodason bellows is a high-grade 

 article. Powder placed in the funnel-shaped 

 receptacle attached to the nozzle is expelled 

 with each action of the bellows, a small 

 quantity falling into the nozzle between each 



For dusting on dry powders use some form of bel- 

 lows. Useful on cabbages and currant bushes 



stroke. A spreader may be attached to the 

 nozzle and there are other attachments for 

 the use of sulphur for subduing mildew, and 

 for the spraying of liquids. Powder guns 

 or bellows must be kept in a dry place. 



TREE-SCRAPERS 



The rough, loose and peeling portions of 

 the bark on the trunk of the tree, which 

 serve as breeding places for all manner of 

 insects, must be scraped off before apply- 

 ing a spray mixture or wash to this portion 

 of the tree. 



There are two forms of scraper: the small 

 one sold as a short-handle tree scraper, by 

 seedsmen, and as a box scraper (at one- 

 third less price) by hardware dealers, is an 

 excellent tool for one-handed close work. 

 The triangular blade is convex, sets at an 

 angle to the handle, is held in place with 

 a nut, and may be removed for changing its 

 position or for grinding. The long-handled 

 one (twenty inches) can be used with both 

 hands for hard scraping, or for reaching large 

 lower branches. The blade is also triangular, 

 but flat and larger than in the short-handled 

 tool. It is also held in place by a nut. 



MOLE TRAPS — CATCHING A MOLE 



Moles always have been and most likely 

 always will be, a source of disfigurement 

 of the lawns and the destruction by uproot- 

 ing of both flowering and vegetable plants 

 is quite serious. Various remedies have been 

 suggested, but the surest and quickest way, 

 in my experience, is the use of a mole trap. 



-> 



Help the spray to -work by scraping off loose bark 

 from the trunks of trees 



There are a number of different makes, 

 but only two distinct types of mole traps. 

 One of low construction works somewhat 

 similarly to a steel trap, and is intended 

 for use in soft, mellow soils, ' as in green 

 houses, hot-beds, etc.; the other is tall and 

 with sharp prongs that are driven down 

 on the mole by a strong spring. This latter 

 is the better one for outdoor use. 



To make the use of a mole trap effective 

 you must know something of the animal's 

 habits. He works early in the morning 

 and late in the evening; you cannot catch a 

 mole during the day. I have watched him 

 at work and then killed him by plunging 

 a trowel or other sharp tool down through 

 the surface of the soil. 



If you will examine the network of 

 mounds raised by the mole, you will note 

 that there are a number of side branches 

 of varying length that lead off from what 

 might be called the main runs. Many 

 of these short runs the mole will never 

 use again. A small 

 amount of atten- 

 tive study of the Z 

 mole's work, com- 

 bined with the 

 determination to 

 catch him, will soon 



enable you instinc- /'"T'N. 



tively to select the 

 proper run and so 

 be able to catch the 

 mole nearly every 

 time. 



When setting the 

 trap, first press 

 down the soil of the 

 burrow and then 

 place the trap, 

 forcing the sharp 

 prongs down into 

 the soil several 

 times before set- 

 ting; this to make 

 sure they will enter 

 the soil when the 

 trap is sprung; 

 otherwise the 

 prongs will strike 

 the hard soil sud- 

 denly and, instead 

 of penetrating, will 

 only lift the trap and 

 the mole escapes. 



The trap set ; on being 

 sprung the prongs strike 

 down-ward into the mole 



