20 
RIVERVIEW GARDENS, ST. PAUL, MINN 
ABOUT THRIPS 
During the past two or three years 
many people have had trouble with 
their gladiolus blooms drying up and 
not opening. The cause is a very 
minute insect called thrips. The dam¬ 
age is characterized by deep scars made 
on the surfaces of the leaves and flowers, 
where the insect sucks the juices from 
the plant. When the buds or petals 
of the flowers are damaged by thrips 
the whole blossom becomes a distorted 
and unsightly mass. Most of the dam¬ 
age is done under cover, but when the 
thrips do appear on the surface of the 
flowers it is usually late in the after¬ 
noon when the sun is not shining 
brightly or when the plants are shaded. 
This is the best time to apply spray 
materials as well as spraying them with 
cold water. 
The eggs of the insect are placed 
directly in the tissue of the plant and 
the corms. The newly hatched larvae 
are creamy white, later turning to a 
lemon yellow. The adults, at first pale, 
soon become dark and finally are almost 
black. They measure about l/16th to 
l/25th of an inch in length. 
Good control of this insect in the 
field may be brought about by the use 
of a mixture of two tablespoonfuls of 
Paris Green, two pounds of brown sugar 
and three gallons of water. This mix¬ 
ture should be used as soon as any 
signs of the thrips appear after the 
foliage is above the ground, and re¬ 
peated at frequent intervals. 
In order to prevent injury in storage 
by the feeding of thrips, it is advisable 
to apply the treatment as soon as the 
corms have become dry and dormant. 
Napthalene flakes, mixed among corms 
in paper bags at the rate of one ounce 
per 100 corms, is a very effective rem¬ 
edy. For the treatment of large num¬ 
ber of corms, the flakes may be scat¬ 
tered over the corms in the trays at 
the rate of one pound to 2,000 corms 
or bulbs, the trays stacked, and then 
tightly covered with heavy wrapping 
paper or canvas. As napthalene acts as 
a fumigant, it is necessary to keep the 
treated corms covered during the period 
of fumigation in order to concentrate 
the fumes and thus effect a complete 
kill. Treatment should extend over a 
period of about three weeks after which 
all excess Napthalene flakes should be 
removed and the corms thoroughly 
aired. Since this treatment kills the 
egg as well as other stages of the in¬ 
sect, only one application is necessary. 
Additional Thrip information may be 
had by writing for Paper No. 275 of the 
Miscellaneous Journal Series of the 
Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Sta¬ 
tion, St. Paul, Minn. 
AMERICAN GLADIOLUS SOCIETY 
Join the American Gladiolus Society, the fastest growing special flower 
society in the world. Dues $2.00 a year. You receive a monthly magazine 
devoted solely to the Gladiolus. It contains a world of valuable information 
for Glad lovers. Worth much more than the $2.00. 
If You Are a Member Please Hand This to Some Friend 
“I hereby apply for membership in the American Gladiolus Society, and 
inclose $2.00 as annual membership dues, $1.00 of which is for a year’s 
subscription to the Gladiolus Review. 
Mail this application and $2.00 to 
ROSCOE HUFF, Secretary 
Goshen, Indiana 
Name. 
Street and No. 
City or Town.State. 
Amateur or Professional. 
Recommended by A. J. Wilkus. 
Notice—Join the Minnesota Gladiolus Society. The Minnesota Gladio¬ 
lus Society is an auxiliary of the American Gladiolus Society. Dues $2.00 a 
year. 
