A. H. NICHOLS 
30 
THRIP AND THEIR CONTROL 
During the past few years a tiny slender bug ranging in color 
from light brown to almost black has caused a great deal of 
damage to Gladiolus blooms. This bug is known commonly as 
Gladiolus Thrip. It lives by sucking the juices from the leaves. 
This gives the leaves a scarred or sunburned appearance and the 
flowers look faded and misshapen. The Gladiolus Thrip lives 
between the close fitting leaves and for this reason is hard to 
control. They start doing their damage when the plants are 
very young and control should start at the time the plants are 
about three inches high. 
Since this insect is such a tremendous problem to Gladiolus 
growers, we have gone to a great deal of expense and trouble 
to locate a control for our growers. In 1934 we recommended 
the best thing we knew at the time. This was a lead arsenate 
mixture which was very bothersome to prepare and use. Early 
this year we found a spray known as BARFOOT GARDEN 
INSECTICIDE which has as the killing element ROTENONE. 
We have checked this material very carefully from the manu¬ 
facture of it to the use of it in our own fields all through the 
growing season. We can wholeheartedly recommend it. We 
quote from the report of Dr. R. C. Roark, Chief of Insecticide 
Division of the Bureau of Chemistry and Soils: “Rotenone is 30 
times as toxic as lead arsenate as a stomach poison—15 times 
as toxic as nicotine as a contact spray.” Barfoot’s Garden 
Insecticide is easy to use since it is not necessary to add any 
other ingredient except water. It does not wilt, burn or dis¬ 
color flowers or leaves. The only precaution necessary in using 
this material is DO NOT USE AROUND OR IN A FISH POND. 
It is just as deadly to fish as it is to insects. In fact, it works 
only on cold-blooded animals. It is used at the rate of one 
level teaspoonful to one gallon of water; one pint to 100 
gallons of water. Very inexpensive, is it not? 
