INSECT AND OTHER ENEMIES. 
12S 
January or February are about as scarce as mushrooms 
themselves. A dressing of salt is distasteful to slugs, 
and not injurious to mushrooms. Strong, fresh lime 
water may be freely sprinkled over woodwork, pathways, 
walls, or elsewhere where slugs might gather and hide 
themselves; but this solution should not be used upon 
the mushroom beds. Eigid cleanliness, however, about 
the mushroom house, and an ever-alert eye for slugs, 
should keep them under. 
Wood Lice.—These are sure to be more or less 
abundant in every mushroom house, even in the cellars. 
They crawl in through doors, ventilators, or other inter¬ 
stices, and are brought in with the manure, and find 
shelter about the woodwork, manure, or any bits of dry 
litter that may be around. They attack the pinhead 
and small button mushrooms by biting out little patches 
in their tops and sides; and although these patches are 
small to begin with, the blemish spreads as the mush¬ 
room grows, and is an objectionable feature. Trapping 
and killing the insects is the chief remedy. Put part of 
a half boiled potato (for which no salt had been used) 
into a little pasteboard box, and cover the potato with 
some very dry swamp moss, lay the box on its side, and 
open at the end on the bed. The wood lice will gather 
to eat the potato, and remain after feasting because the 
dry moss affords them a cozy hiding place. Several of 
these little boxes can be used. Go through the house in 
the morning, lift the little traps quickly, and shake out 
any wood lice that maybe in them into a tin pail (an 
old lard pail will do), which should contain a little water 
and kerosene. These traps may be used for any length 
of time, merely observing to change the potato now and 
again to have it in appetizing condition. Hot water or 
strong kerosene emulsion may be poured about the wood¬ 
work, walls, and pathways, to destroy the wood lice, but 
should not be allowed to touch the beds. Poisoned 
9 
