186 



MANUAL OF GARDENING 



danger from any insect or disease that is controllable 

 by spraying. 



Screens and covers. 



There are various ways of keeping insects away from plants. 

 One of the best is to cover the plants ^vith fine mosquito-netting 



or to grow them in hand- 

 frames, or to use a wire- 

 covered box like that shown 

 in Fig. 229. In growing 

 plants under such covers, care 

 must be taken that the plants 

 are not kept too close or con- 

 fined; and in cases in which 

 the insects hibernate in the 



228. A truck-mounted barrel hand spray Soil, these boxeS, by keeping 



P^^^P- the soil warm, may cause the 



insects to hatch all the sooner. In most cases, however, these 

 covers are very efficient, especially for keeping the striped 

 bugs off young plants of 

 melons and cucumbers. 



Cut-worms may be kept 

 away from plants by placing 

 sheets of tm or of heavy 

 glazed paper about the stem 

 of the plant, as shown in Fig. 

 230. Climbing cut-worms are 

 kept off young trees by the 

 means shown in Fig. 231. 

 Or a roll of cotton may be 

 placed about the trunk of 

 the tree, a string being tied 

 on the lower edge of the roll 



/ . \ I 



229. Wire-covered box for protecting 

 plants from insects. 



