There is no reason why any of us should be harassed by a 

 pe^ of rose-bugs in our garden, and I am convinced that 

 the oft repeated advice that " hand-picking " is the best 

 remedy for this pe^t is in a measure not correct: for my experi- 

 ence has been that " hand-picking " and dropping the insecfls 

 into kerosene or gasoHne is only a temporary means of getting 

 rid of rose-bugs when they have reached the devouring ^age 

 above ground; but it is not the method of " getting rid " 

 of them permanently. To do this I have found the extermi- 

 nation mu^ begin in the soil, where the pupae lie hidden, 

 and there are many kinds, but the term "rose-bugs" will 

 serve to include all of their genus. 1 have come to the con- 

 clusion that fighting these pe^s mu^ begin under and not 

 above the soil. This conclusion is the result of experimenting 

 with treatments of sulphate of iron, a chemical as easily 

 procured as salt for freezing ice cream and almo^ as cheap. 

 Perhaps the mo^ important phase of this treatment is not its 

 immediate results, but its real value as a true eradicator will 

 be undeniably proven the following Summer. I doubt if any 

 one has ever made a claim that you will never, never see another 

 rose-bug in your garden after treating the soil with the sulphate 

 of iron. No, indeed, that would be too much to expedt. But 

 I do claim, and can with perfecft confidence, that it will eventu- 

 ally eliminate them, positively, definitely! 

 ^ Does it take years and years to accomplish this? you ask. 

 No, it does not! I am indebted to a subscriber in Pasadena 

 for the following letter: 



Dear Mrs. Harde: 



We have exchanged numerous com- 

 munications regarding the arch-enemy of rose gardens 



[60] 



