Hornberger’s Home and Garden Service 
11 
Chemical dips may prove of some aid for control of fungus diseases but these 
diseases are so dangerous in nature that it is best to destroy infected bulbs to prevent 
the disease from being spread in your soil. Bulbs often have both bacterial and 
fungus rots on a single specimen. In such cases, you may ascribe the loss to the 
wrong cause. 
Most growers as well as amateurs use some kind of a dip for the control of scab. 
Chemicals that have given some measure of control are; corrosive sublimate—1 
ounce to 8 gallons of water. Do not use metal containers or permit metal to con¬ 
tact the solution. It is best to mix the day before using as it dissolves slowly. Use 
tAvice, then make a new batch. 
Semesan and Calogreen are both popular and users claim good results, although 
the corrosive sublimate is cheaper and likely just as efficient. 
Some growers claim good results from the use of lye; use one ordinary 10c can 
to 20 gallons of water. Soak 10 to 12 hours. 
PATHOLOGICAL SPECIMENS FOR EXAMINATION: We will examine bulbs 
and report on them; select specimens where disease has made definite development, 
wrap securely, and mail to us; we will make a report to the best of our ability, and 
then destroy the specimens sent us. 
If you are not sure what the condition is, we will try to give the correct answer. 
GLADIOLUS THRIPS 
In past years we have led in the publication of the most up to the minute 
information regarding control of thrips. Most persons who are very familiar with 
glads, now have very definite information regarding control, but there are still vast 
numbers of people who are entirely unfamiliar with proper methods of treatment 
and control. For smaller lots of bulbs, Naphthalene,—Flakes or crude, is perhaps 
the best and most efficient treatment, both flakes and crude are equal in value, 
use about 1 oz to approximately 100 bulbs, and no harm will result if you increase 
the amount to a moderate degree. The main thing is to keep the bulbs in a temp, 
near 7 0 F. while fumigating, that does not mean that the temp, must be exactly 
or very near 7 0 F. at all times but try to maintain near 6 5 to 7 0 F. Place bulbs in 
paper bags that you can tie shut, or in tight wood or paper boxes, but not in metal 
that would cause sweating and moisture, and so cause damage. Let the bulbs 
fumigate for two weeks, then remove them from the flakes, and place them in a 
cool dry airy place, that is also frostproof. Most growers and amateurs dip bulbs 
before planting, as a measure of control for “scab” and other bulb diseases. If you 
use (Bichloride of Mercury) corrosive sublimate, 1 oz. to 8 gal. of water, and im¬ 
merse bulbs 8 to 10 hours in this solution, it will prove a double purpose dip, as it 
is also regarded highly as one of the best methods of destroying thrips or eggs on 
bulbs. As the C-S dissolves slowly it is best to mix your solution a day before using, 
only use the batch twice, then make an entirely new lot, never use in metal con¬ 
tainers, or bring metal in contact with the solution, wooden pails, tubs or bbls are 
best. Bulbs can be placed in cloth or burlap bags. Just another caution about Naph¬ 
thalene, never plant any of the material with your bulbs, as it will have a serious 
reaction, and never fumigate so late in spring that the sprouts or rootlets have 
started as it may damage them, use when the bulb is dry and dormant. 
Where you can maintain storage temperature at 4 0-4 5F. or lower for several 
months, you automatically destroy all thrips and eggs, as the normal life cycle of 
the insect is 3 0 days; Thrips do not breed, when temp, is below 5OF. Very few 
persons can maintain storage conditions so cold, and they are not necessary for good 
results. It is not difficult to remove all thrips and eggs from your bulbs by proper 
fumigation or disinfection, the real menace from thrips is not on your own bulbs 
which are not difficult to keep free, but the greatest source of all infestation is 
from the people who pay no attention to this problem. Perhaps they have less than a 
dozen bulbs that they plant out among other garden ornamentals, and then perhaps 
forget all about the few glads they had planted. If infested, the increase on a few 
plants under favorable conditions can supply enough insects to infest all the plant¬ 
ings large and small for a considerable radius, in particular if in the path of pre¬ 
vailing high winds. In our 1933 catalog we published a 4000 word article about 
thrips, we still have a limited supply of this article. 
If you are required to spray for control of thrips, ROTOTOX is regarded as 
highly efficient, both as a contact and stomach poison, prices and details can be had 
by writing East Williston Distributing Co., 81 West Yale St., East Williston, N. Y. 
More detailed information may be secured by writing to the Bureau of Entomology, 
Dept, of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. Thrips do not over-winter where the ground 
freezes, if you find thrips on plants that have come up outside in spring before any 
new crop has been planted, the chances are they migrated from some discarded and 
wilted bloom, either greenhouse or southern grown. 
