1920.] Insect and Fundus Pests diking Winter. 



778 



The idea of ridging up the land in winter to allow frost to kill 

 insect pests, although excellent from a cultural standpoint, does 

 not seem to stand the test of experience, for insect pests, even 

 when in a dormant condition, can apparentl}^ endure the frost, 

 while many fungus spores germinate better after being frozen. 

 Soil fumigants containing a basis of napthaHne are far from 

 being successful generally, although they may enable a crop to 

 become established and so to withstand injury. 



Infected Crops should be Removed. — Giwers, whether on a 

 large or small scale, should realise that vegetables such as 

 turnips, potatoes, and mangolds which have suffered from fungus 

 disease contain thousands of spores, and it is important that 

 these crops should not be left about to rot or be fed unboiled to 

 animals, as in both cases the spores are by such means returned 

 to the land. Stubble frequently contains the pupie of flies from 

 the preceding crop. To destroy the pests the stubble should be 

 ploughed in very deeply, or preferably burnt, even though extra 

 trouble may be involved. 



Weeds. — Weeds should not be overlooked in this connection. 

 Grasses and weeds on the headlands and weeds in the field are 

 constantly the alternate hosts of pests which would otherwise 

 starve in the interval between the crops. 



Fruit and Garden Pests. — The need for the adoption of 

 sanitary methods is perhaps more important to the fruit grower, 

 commercial gardener and allotment holder than to the farmer, 

 since a large number of fruit and garden pests, both insect and 

 fungus, hibernate on the refuse. The refuse heap and manure 

 heap are equally the resort of these parasites, and become a 

 hotbed of disease. A long hst might be made of pests of garden 

 crops which could he found in most heaps of unburnt refuse and 

 which will ultimately find their way to the new crop, unless 

 destroyed. 



The refuse of the fruit grower largely takes the form of dead 

 wood, although diseased leaves and fruit are common. Except 

 in cases of high wind, fruit which falls prematurely is usually 

 diseased, and should be gathered and burnt or fed to pigs. Very 

 few fruits bear fungus spores which are not destroyed by passing 

 through animals, so that the danger of infecting manure is 

 very slight. Insect pests are readily destroyed, and where 

 possible, fowls should be allowed the run of the orchards, as 

 they are fond of insects and prevent many caterpillars and other 

 larvffi from entering the soil to pupate. 



