28 
HOWARD E. GATES 
Another method is to mix with water in an old wash tub and heat over a fire. This mix¬ 
ture should be frequently stirred while heating. 
There are several borers, mostly larvae of moths, who tunnel through cactus plants. 
The presence of these is indicated by fine droppings resembling corn meal on the sur¬ 
face of the plants. The borers should be ruthlessly dug out or they may be removed by 
putting quicksilver into the hole with a medicine dropper. The quicksilver will force 
the worm out immediately, after which the quicksilver should be drained out. All cuts 
should be allowed to dry well. Many people dust fresh cuts with charcoal or sulphur. 
Scale are small flat insects that attach themselves to the skin of the plant and suck 
out the sap. The ones usually infesting cactus are gray in color. Mealy bugs are a 
group of mobile insects covered with white fuzz. Both may be removed from plants 
with a strong, fine spray of water. Keep it moving to prevent injury to the plants. After 
this treatment, spray under pressure with one of the following preparations: 
1. Whale (Fish) Oil Soap one pound, Black Leaf 40 two ounces, water five gallons. 
2. One of the mineral oil garden sprays such as Volck added to the above to form a 
somewhat weaker solution than the accompanying directions prescribe for ordinary 
garden use. These mineral oils are apt to “burn” the surface of the plants if used 
stronger. The soil in the pots should be quite moist to reduce the danger of injury. 
We do not recommend spraying with alcohol as it will burn many plants and if used 
constantly will ruin the spines. 
One of the most common pests is called the “spine mealy bug” because of the white 
masses found on the spines; these are not the bugs but egg masses. The bug is a naked, 
mobile insect that spends most of his time in the crevices or under the plants. This 
makes them hard to reach by ordinary spraying. 
Another mean one is the “root mealy bug” which lives on the roots and is seldom 
suspected unless ants are seen burrowing under the plant. An effective cure for these 
last two is to mix up three ounces of Black Leaf 40 to five gallons of water without soap 
or oil and fill up the pots just before spraying with the other mixtures. 
A number of sprays with Pyrethrin or Rotenone bases are on the market. These 
are quite effective on all the above except the scales, which require a coating of oil to 
kill. All treatments should be repeated several times at intervals of ten days to two 
weeks as there are eggs and stray insects that will escape the earlier treatments. 
It is much easier to keep the plants from getting infested than it is to clean up a 
bad infestation. Ants should be poisoned as they help to spread the harmful insects. 
THE OPUNTIA BOOK 
Volume One of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America’s reprint of “Cactaceae” by the late 
Messrs. Britton & Rose is now bound and ready for distribution. This exhaustive and authoritative work 
covers the Pereskias, Pereskiopsis and Opuntias. It gives the names, synonyms, description and many notes 
on the various species as well as a multitude of handsome illustrations. There are only a hundred copies 
to be sold. They will soon be gone. Order now from us. The price is $10.00 post paid. 
DESERT PLANT LIFE MAGAZINE 
This is a snappy, informal monthly magazine, well illustrated, telling of the desert and its plant 
life. It fills a niche that no other publication fills. It will interest you. It is published by The Desert 
Publishing Co. at $1.50 per year and we would be delighted to handle your subscription order. 
THE CAT’S OUT OF THE BAG 
We are working on a little book on Cactus and its culture designed for the ordinary person. We want 
to give him an idea of what this big cactus family is, how to grow its various members, how to cure their 
ills and when its all done sell it for a price so low no one will have to go without lunch to buy it. We 
would be delighted if our friends would lay down a barrage of post cards telling us just what they would 
like to see in it. Probably we can’t use all the ideas but we know some of them will help us to help you. 
