5o3 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



in size, few, if any, exceeding Jin. in length. Anthocoris 

 nemorum, the species that attacks Chrysanthemums, is 

 hardly more than Jin. in length. The immature insects 

 are very much like their parents, but are wingless. 

 Red Spider, The {Tetranychus tellarius). — This well- 

 known pest is at times very troublesome, as it attacks 

 plants in the open air as well as those grown under glass, 

 but the latter, no doubt, suffer most from this little mite. 

 There are several species, but as they are much alike, and 

 their methods of life and the means for their destruction 

 are the same, f shall allude to them as if there were only 

 one species. The red spider seems to delight in warmth 

 and dryness ; and, as a rule, the plants that suffer most 

 from their attacks are those which from some cause or 

 another are drier at the roots than they should be. 

 When this is the case the foliage is no doubt in a more 

 suitable condition for their use than when it is well 

 supplied with sap bum the roots. Plants attacked by 

 this pest should be at once noticed, and if a specimen 

 is suffering bom want of water it should be attended 

 to. In the case of those grown under glass want of 

 ventilation often promotes an attack of red spider. These 

 mites may be killed by spraying or syringing the plants 

 with one of the following insecticides (it must be 

 remembered that the red spider will always lie found on 

 the lower sides of the leaves, and that the application 

 will be of little use unless it is directed to thai part). 

 Paraffin emulsion, to which add loz. ol sulphide ot 

 potassium (liver of sulphur) to every 5 gallons of the 

 wash ; lib. of flowers .if sulphur, and 2lb. of fresh lime, 

 boiled in 4 gallons of water, then add I Alb. of soft soap, 

 mix thoroughly, and add 4 gallons more water, or 20z. 

 to 30Z. of Gishurst compound to I gallon of water. As 

 these mixtures will not kill the eggs, they should be 

 applied two or three times at intervals of three days. 

 These creatures are very minute, and hardly visible to 

 the naked eye ; they spin a very fine web over the under- 

 sides of the leaves, in which they live. It is very 

 important to apply the remedies with sufficient force to 

 break the webs and therefore reach the mites. 



Rose Beetle, or Green Rose Chafer, The [Cetonia 



aura/a). — See Cockchafers. 



Rose Saw Flies {Hylotoma rosarum), and others. — The 



saw Hies are a very destructive family of insects, as there 

 are a large number of species, and their grubs feed on the 

 leaves of various plants. The Roses perhaps come in for 

 an unfair amount of their attentions, as their foliage is 

 injured by several species and in various ways. Hylotoma 

 rosarum and some other species eat the entire leal, with 

 the exception of the thicker ribs. Another species curls 

 up the leaves into regular rolls about the size of a pencil, 

 or somewhat smaller, and lives and feeds within this 

 shelter. Others feed only on the upper part, without 

 injuring the lower side or the veins. Another lives inside 

 the young shoots, feeding on the pith. The grubs should 

 be picked off the leaves by hand ; they may be rather 

 difficult to see at first, but as soon as one or two are 

 found the others will be discovered without difficulty. 

 If so many bushes are attacked that hand picking is 

 impracticable, the bushes should be sprayed with paraffin 

 emulsion, the extract of quassia and soft soap, or Paris 

 green. Most of the grubs bury themselves in the earth 

 before turning into chrysalides, but those that attack die 

 shoots undergo their transformations in the shoot. It a 

 bush has been badly attacked by those species that bary 

 themselves in the ground, remove the earth from under 

 the bush to the depth of at least 3m., and burn it, 

 or bury it not less than ift. deep, the object being to 

 prevent the flies leaving the chrysalides in the spring. 

 Any shoots that appear withered in the autumn should 

 be cut off and burnt. The grubs, when full grown, vary 

 in size according to the species, but many are about I in. 

 in length. They resemble much the caterpillars of moths, 

 but may be distinguished by the number of their legs, 

 which is greater than in the case of caterpillars. 

 Scale Insects {Coccida). — These insects are not, as a rule, 

 very injurious to plants grown in the open air, but Apple 

 trees, Roses, CotoneasterSj and some other plants often 



suffer from their attacks. When this is the case the best 

 remedy is spraying, or syringing with paraffin emulsion 

 or some other soapy insecticide. If possible, the scales 

 should then be scraped off, and in the course of four or 

 five days repeat the spraying, so as to kill any young 

 that might have escaped the first application. When 

 Apple trees are attacked by the "Mussel scale" in the 

 winter, before the buds have commenced to open, they 

 should be sprayed with a caustic wash (see Insecticides). 

 Snake Millipedes (/ulus, Blanjuhis, and Polydesmus). — 

 These creatures are sometimes known by the name of 

 "false wireworms," but this is a wrong designation, as 

 they have nothing to do with wireworms. They are not 

 even insects, but belong to the class Myriapoda, or 

 creatures with many feet, and may always be know n by 

 this character ; they are most destructive pests, and, once 

 a garden is infested, it is difficult to eradicate them. They 

 have such hard shiny skins that insecticides are not of 

 much use. but they may be killed by a strong solution of 

 salt or nitrate of soda, if it can be made to reach them ; 

 but as they are generally feeding at the roots of plants 

 below the surface ol the ground, it is difficult to make 

 the solution reach them of sufficient strength, and to 

 remain long enough to have a fatal effect. A heavy 

 watering with either of the above-mentioned insecticides 

 would probably be of use in making the millipedes shift 

 their quarters. They feed on the roots of a number of 

 plants, and seem particularly fond of Anemones, Lilies, 

 ami other bulbs, Pansies, and Stocks. One species, the 

 spotted snake millipede {Blanjuhis gttttulatus) delights 

 in ripe Strawberries, and a dozen or so may sometimes be 

 found on one fruit. They may be trapped by laying 

 bricks, tiles, cabbage leaves, or pieces of turf or board 



SNAKE MILLIPEDES. 



1. Julus hndinensis. 2 and 3. Blanjulus cuttulatus, nat. size 

 and nu g. 4. Julus terrestris. 5. Feeler. 6 and 7. Polydesmus 

 complanatus, nat. size and mag. 



on the ground where the pests are, as they will often 

 creep under them. The snake millipedes vary in size 

 when full grown, according to the species, from Jin. to 

 1 i 1 1 . in length. They are usually of a dark brown colour, 

 but one, the spotted snake millipede, is nearly white, with 

 a deep red spot on either side of each joint of the body. 

 This species is only Am. in length, and is one of the 

 most mischievous. They are all, with the exception of 

 the flattened snake millipede, nearly cylindrical, and 

 composed of a great number of joints, each of which 

 bears two pairs of legs. These creatures are sometimes 

 mistaken for centipedes, but the latter (with the exception 

 of one species) all move with great rapidity, whilst the 

 former move very leisurely. 

 Thrips ( Thrips adonidum ami other species). — The genus 

 Thrips contains a considerable number of species, all of 

 which are known to gardeners as thrips. It matters little 

 how many kinds there are, as they all injure plants in the 

 same manner, and may be destroyed by the same means. 

 These little insects are often very troublesome in gardens, 

 but they are far more mischievous in greenhouses and 

 stoves than they are out of doors. Nevertheless, Carnations, 

 Phloxes, Dahlias, and some other plants are at times 

 attacked by them in the open air. When this is the case, 

 syringe or spray with paraffin emulsion, quassia extract 

 and soft soap, or some of the insecticides sold for this 

 purpose. These insects are very small, none of our 



