CHAPTER XIV. 
PLANT ENEMIES AND THEIR REMEDIES. 
I N this chapter no attempt will be made to fully describe 
the enemies found in nearly every garden. For conveni¬ 
ence they will be divided into Plant Diseases and Insect 
Pests. The latter will be subdivided into sucking insects, 
biting and chewing insects, and scale insects. Each sub¬ 
ject will be briefly treated and remedies easy to apply 
given. 
plant diseases. 
Plant diseases are very similar to diseases in human 
beings, caused by the same class of vegetable growth 
called germs. In the human family we have diphtheria, 
Scarlet fever, or small-pox. In the plant family, rusts, 
mildews, and blight. The best way to prevent disease 
and insect attacks in plants is to give them plenty of 
food and air, keep them healthy and growing. It is 
easier to prevent disease than to cure it. The spores or 
germs of all diseases of plants are killed by the Bordeaux 
mixture. Plants likely to be attacked should be sprayed 
as a preventative measure. This kills the germs that fall 
on the leaf and prevents the disease starting. 
Sunshine is the best of all germicides. 
INSECT PESTS. 
There are so many kinds of insects that descriptions 
of them would fill a large book. The sucking insects are 
those that have mouth parts like the mosquito. The beak 
pierces the skin of the leaf or tender twigs and sucks out 
the chlorophyl which is not only the green coloring matter 
of the leaf but its energy as well. The white and green 
fly found on rose bushes are among the commonest in this 
class. They are commonly known as plant lice. All 
this class of pests must be killed by a contact poison 
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