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hellebore — Veratrum album , V. viride^ , and Helleborus niger . The term 
"hellebore" is oorrectly applied to H. niger , which grows in Europe and 
is not a commercial product in this country. V. album and V. viride 
are the two commercial species, the former being largely imported, and 
the latter the American plant* As insecticides these two species are 
considered equally valuable* 
Powdered hellebore roots (V. album and V. viride ) have been proved 
to prevent the emergence of houseflies from horse manure, killing on an 
average 95.5 percent of the maggots exposed to its action* For use, 
l/2 pound of powder must be mixed with 10 gallons of water and, after 
standing 24 hours, applied to every 8 bushels of manure on its removal 
from the stable.— Austen (42 , p. 48) • 
VERATRUM ALBUM L. Unite false-hellebore. 
The powdered rhizomes and rootlets constitute the hellebore most 
generally used as an insecticide* 
The commercial powder, used as a dust, was efficient but slow 
against cockroaches and silkworms, and had a slight effect on honeybees, 
tent caterpillars, and aphidsj used as a decoction, it has no effect on 
the same species of aphids; used as a fumigant, it was inefficient 
against these insects; and used as a stomach poison, it was efficient 
but slow against grasshoppers and silkworms. Extracts and the distil- 
late were efficient but slow against silkworms, but a 0*5-percent 
solution of veratrine in weak sulfuric acid killed them more quickly. 
The alcoholic and bensene extracts were inefficient against four species 
of aphids* The powdered roots and the hot-water extract of these roots 
(not commercial) were efficient but very slow against silkworms, al- 
though they had no effect on rose aphids .—Mclndoo end Sievers ( 259 , 
pp. 9-10). 
Commercial extracts of hellebore were not significantly toxic to 
the bean aphid. --Tatters field and coworkers (393 ) • 
VERATRUM CALIFORNICUM Durand. California false-hellebore. 
The powdered roots had no effect on grasshoppers.— Mclndoo and 
Sievers (259 , p. 23). 
Honeybees visiting the flowers are poisoned. The field bees die 
in large numbers between the plants and the hives *~Burnside and 
Vans ell (72). 
VERATRUM NIGRUM L. 
This species seemed to be as good as V. album for insecticidal 
purposes .--Schreiber (359, 360). 
