184 
The Garden Magazine, May, 1920 
Pansies and Violets are sometimes injured bv dark colored 
“false” caterpillars or sawfly larvae which are often found in 
the day time at the base of the plants. This is an insect that 
is rarely injurious and when troublesome can probably be con- 
trolled very satisfactorily by spraying with a tobacco-soap 
preparation, preferably just at dusk. Arsenical poisons would 
be equally effective, but these are not advisable on' such 
plants. 
I N LATE fall Asters are frequently injured by hundreds of 
rather soft, slender, black or grayish blister beetles about 
one-half an inch long, knowm to some as old-fashioned Potato 
beetles. The grubs of these insects live upon grasshopper eggs; 
and blister beetles, though occasionally injurious, are as a whole 
beneficial. This should be kept in mind before unqualified 
condemnation is given. One of the most practical methods of 
preventing injury on small plots is hand collecting — that is, 
jarring the beetles from the plants into shallow vessels contain- 
ing a little kerosene and water. Repeated collections, especially 
if made before there has been much feeding, will stop the trouble; 
and one is frequently surprised at the immunity following. 
Asters which fail to make a satisfactory growth, especially if 
this is restricted to an occasional plant, may be infested by root 
lice. In most cases it is probably best to pull up the plants and 
destroy the insects by dipping the roots in any contact insecti- 
cide; but if there are special reasons for keeping the plant, a 
portion of the soil may be removed from about the stem and 
the pests destroyed by pouring a moderately heavy application 
of a nicotine-soap solution on the roots. 
Dahlias and a variety of other thick-stemmed plants are 
frequently injured by the stalk borer. This is a light brownish, 
white-striped, blotched caterpillar, usually less than one inch 
in length, which works in the centre of the stems and usually 
causes wilting, followed by the death of the part above the 
burrow. The eggs are laid in the fall on weeds and grasses 
and consequently the burning of all such debris in and near 
gardens is one of the best forms of insurance against injury. 
Wilting tips should be cut and burned whenever found. 
Plants of this general character growing in areas where the 
recently introduced European corn borer has become well estab- 
lished, may be invaded by wandering individuals of this borer 
even if there is not habitual breeding in the host. The greatest 
care should be exercised not to ship ornamentals infested by this 
borer to any point, since such shipment of course facilitates the 
spread of the highly menacing pest. Furthermore, such action 
may be a violation of both state and federal quarantines. 
ON DECIDUOUS SHRUBS 
H ONEYSUCKLE (Lonicera) is occasionally somewhat 
seriously injured in early June by yellowish-gray, black 
marked “false” caterpillars, especially in the vicinity of New 
York City. This moderately common insect can be readily 
controlled by spraying with a poison such as arsenate of lead, 
though it is very probable that the nicotine-soap solution would 
be equally effective and leave the foliage practically free from 
poison. 
Lilac twigs and occasionally the smaller branches of other 
shrubs in the vicinity of New York City of late show a curious 
denuding of the bark. This injury is sometimes confined to one 
side of the twig but occasionally girdles a small branch, when it 
is usually followed by the death of the twig beyond the af- 
fected part. The cause of the trouble is a recently introduced 
hornet known in Europe to injure the young stems of a consider- 
able variety of trees and shrubs. The comminuted bark is 
used in the construction of its underground nests. Occasion- 
ally the damage may be enough to justify efforts to locate 
near-by nests and destroy them and the contained wasps by 
the use of burning sulphur or carbon bisulphide. The hornets 
can also be trapped in long necked flasks containing sweetened 
water. 
A LMOST annually Rose bushes are infested to a greater or 
. less degree by the small rose aphis, an insect easily con- 
trolled with a tobacco-soap spray. The important point is to 
treat the bushes before there has been serious damage. The 
yellowish-brown, sprawlv-legged rose beetle is usually associ- 
ated with sandy soils, since the rather small white grubs (re- 
sembling those of the May or June beetles only smaller and more 
slender) live on the roots of grasses growing in sandy areas. The 
pests often appear in immense swarms at about the time Grapes 
are in bloom and may remain for three or four weeks, riddling 
the leaves of a large variety of plants and displaying marked 
preference for the Rose, Grape, and Apple. They not only de- 
stroy the foliage but ruin the developing fruit. Small bushes or 
trees can be protected from the voracious hordes by mosquito 
netting — or less effectually by repeated and systematic collect- 
ing of the beetles in shallow pans containing a little kerosene. 
Early and very thorough spraying with arsenate of lead, five 
to ten pounds to fifty gallons of water, affords a considerable 
degree of protection. 
The leaf hopper, easily recognized in midsummer by the 
small, whitish or yellowish-white, jumping adults, is another 
common pest very readily controlled if one will but remember 
that the eggs of this insect remain in the bark all winter; and 
that the pale greenish, rather slothful young feed on the under 
side of the lower leaves in particular, and produce a characteris- 
tic white spotting which late in the season becoming abundant, 
is so unsightly. All that is necessary to control this leaf hopper 
is to watch for the first evidences of injury, and then spray the 
under side of the lower leaves in particular with any good contact 
insecticide, such as the tobacco-soap combination. This' insect 
is incorrectly called the rose “thrips.” 
R OSE, Blackberry and Raspberry bushes, particularly in 
sheltered locations, may be badly infested with a thin, 
papery white, oval scale, that of the female being only about 
of an inch long and that of the male smaller and easily recog- 
nized by its elongate shape and three conspicuous ridges. The 
reddish young appear in early June and the second generation 
later in the season. Winter spraying with whale-oil soap or 
the lime-sulphur wash is effective, and the reddish young are 
rapidly destroyed by weaker applications. Whale-oil soap used 
at the rate of one pound to six or seven gallons of water, or the 
usual njcotine-soap combination suffice for them. 
Rose slugs are very common in many localities. There are 
three species. The American rose slug is green, the body hav- 
ing a rather rough surface. When full grown it is about one- 
third of an inch long. The bristly rose slug is greenish, the 
surface covered with numerous bristles, and when full grown 
is a little more than half an inch in length. The coiled rose slug 
is smooth, mostly green, about three-fourths of an inch when full 
grown and most easily recognized by the usually curled posterior 
extremity. All skeletonize the leaves when young and may be 
readily checked by spraying with a poison or with a contact in- 
secticide such as the tobacco-soap wash. It is important with 
these pests, as with others, to spray before there has been ma- 
terial injury if one would keep the bushes in good condition. 
Viburnum or Snowball is frequently badly infested with 
plant lice and the curled leaves make it almost impossible to 
secure satisfactory results with any spray. Experience with 
fruit trees has demonstrated the utility of bud applications; 
that is spraying shortly after the buds have started and before 
there is serious injury or an opportunity for the aphids to pro- 
tect themselves by crawling between the unfolding leaves. 
Early treatment of this character should mean practical freedom 
from plant louse injury to this shrub. 
. ON BROAD LEAVED EVERGREENS 
T HE box-leaf midge or miner produces irregular, oval swell- 
ings on the leaf, with more or less of a yellowish or brown 
discoloration. This condition is most easily noted in Septem- 
