THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
Jury 14, 1906 
Combating Insects. 
In a lecture delivered by John H. Prost 
_ before the Gardeners and Florists’ Union 
of Chicago, Illinois, dealing with the sub- 
ject of “ Entomology,” he spoke in part 
as follows :— 
In treating insects we divide them into 
two classes as respects their manner of 
‘taking food—the ¢hewing and sucking 
insects. The biting, or chewing, insects 
are those which actually masticate and 
swallow their food, and include the ma- 
jority of the injurious larvee, beetles and 
locusts; and to combat these insects 
direct poisons, as the arsenicals, are used, 
which must be put on’ the food which 
these insects eat, so that it will be swal- . 
lowed with the food. 
The sucking insects are those which 
injure by gradual extraction of the juice 
from the bark, leaves, or fruit; these are 
the plant bug, plant lice, scale insects, 
thrips and mites. For this class it is 
necessary to use substances which will 
act externally on the bodies either as a 
caustic, or to smother or stifle them by 
cloring the breathing pores, or fill the 
air about them with poiscnous fumes. 
Ipeects probably troubled cultivators 
from the time plants were first grown, 
and from the beginning the cultivators 
used different materials to combat them. 
Some of these were -vinegar, soap, soot, 
line, turpentine, lech, hellebore, paints, 
oils, sulphur, ashes, sand, plaster, ground 
bones, whale oil, flax rubbish, dung, sea- 
weed, mortar rubbish. clay, tobacco, water, 
powder, dust, and other materials too 
numerous to mention. 
In recent years we have done away with’ 
all quack remedies, and I will mention 
‘those insecticides which are recognised 
by all horticulturists and will classify 
them according to the way in which they 
eause the death of insects :— 
InTERNAL Potsons, standard remedies— 
Scheele’s Green, Paris Green, London 
Purple, Hellebore. 
Commercial substitutes — Paragreen, 
Green Arsenoid, Pink Arsenoid, Laurel 
Green, Arsenate of Lead, Disparene, 
Home-made remedies—Taft’s Arsenate 
of Lime, Kedzie’s Arsenite of Soda. 
Conracr Remepres, standard —Tob cco. 
Pyrethium, Keresene Emulsion, Whale 
i! Soap, Lime, Sulphur and Salt, Lime 
ard Sulphur, Hyerocyenic Acid Gag, 
Carlion Bi-sulphide, Limoid. 
(ommiercial remedies—Sling Shot. 
ld not pass over this subject with- 
saying something about some of cur 
1 eonimon Tree ct perts The floric’s 
© ted spider, which, 
“a Tie. ~ They '.B8>) 
~ 2D 
| tr +} 
i ANN bnew tne 
Var 
. 
know the plant lice, mealy bug, and the 
different scale insects so common in green- 
houses. AJ] these may be controlled by 
diligent use of water and the nozzle. 
Tobacco is good in combating plant lice ; 
the stems should be dampened and then 
burned in the houses. Kerosene Mmul- 
sion can be used on the more hardy 
plants in the getting rid of the scale 
insects, but must be employed carefully. 
Whale oil soap is good when the best 
quality of soap is obtainable. Hydro- 
cyanic gas is sometimes used in the green- 
house when scale insects are extremely 
plentiful, but no one inexperienced can 
afford to use this insecticide, as it is a 
deadly poison. Sulphur is cften used 
with good success. 
a 
Late Transplantings. 
Try as they do to have all plantings 
done early, there are always some trees 
or shrubs to be inoved late, and hew best 
to do it and have them live is puzzling 
to the oldest planter. There are a few 
trees and shrubs which refuse to live 
transplanted Jate, but without naming 
them, it may be said in a general way 
that all are worth attempting. 
When deciduous: trees. have formed 
leaves in Spring, plant them as we will, 
there will be a great check to them. But 
a customer often desires certain work 
done, and so long as the trees live,-the 
purpose is answered. ‘lhe way to pro- 
ceed, and the only way, is to cut off very 
nearly all the young growth, but not quite 
all. Leave a few leaves at the extremity 
of the shoots without fail. Then follow 
the usual practice in good digging, keep- 
ing roots fresh, pruning and so on, and 
proceed with planting as usual until the 
hole is nearly filled up. Then pour in 
water, and continue flooding with water 
for two or three days, when the hole may 
be levelled off. There is every chance of 
such a tree living. : 
Evergreens require to be treated in 
much the same way. Pines with few 
exceptions should have their new growth 
cut quite off unless there can be had a 
good ball of roots and soil with them. 
There are exceptions in the case of the 
white pine section, in which are cembra, 
monticular and strobus These are more 
readily moved than any others, and I 
have seen them when their new growth 
has been three to four inches long moved 
with entire safety when planted as recom- 
mended, the new shoots standing out 
firmly in a day or two. The cembra, 
called Swiss stone pine, deserves more 
popularity, both for its merits as a hand- 
‘some tree and because of the ease of 
transplanting it. There seems to be two 
types of it in cultivation, one making a 
good sized handsome tree, the other being 
of a dwarf growth, but something of what. 
it does depends on soil and situation. But 
that it is one of the easiest of pines to 
transplant there can be no doubt. 
The Spanish Codlin Moth. Parasite. 
beeen veee 
The rather numerous magazine and 
newspaper articles which have intimated 
that the Codlin Moth parasite introduced. 
into California from Spain had already 
increased to such an extent that last year's 
crop of apples was almost free from the 
pest are in a measure explained by a letter 
dated April 18, 1906, from Mr Edward M, 
Ehrhorn, first assistant to the State Com- 
missioner of Horticulture of California. 
He writes! — “‘I'he Coding Moth parasite 
has been found in several of the districts 
where it was liberated last season, but on 
account of the scarcity of worms this last 
summer it has not increased as rapidly as 
was expected.” Far from leading one to 
infer that the parasite was the cause of 
the apples being free of worms, Mr Ehrhorn 
tells us very plainly that the scarcity of 
worms is thought to have hindered the 
multiplication of the parasite. How very 
different. We hope that the parasite will 
show what it is worth during the present 
American fruit season, for if it is going to 
prove a good thiag we want to get it into 
South Australia as speedily as possible. 
‘The pest was worse than ever this last 
season, and continues to spread. 
Tue up to date dairyman, knowing 
himself to bs part of the very foundation 
of this great industry ot dairying, will 
not be found guilty of sending stale cream 
to the factory. He will at all times deliver 
his cream as clean and sweet as he used to 
bring his milk, and as often. ‘The repu- 
tation of Australian butter is at stake, 
and all hands should make a determined 
effort not to let the quality deteriorate, as 
thereby thousands of pounds will be lost to 
the milk producer, aud perhaps the busi— 
ness made unprofitable for the factory. 
Unless a man has a love for fowls he 
never will make a success of them 
Remember, a mild winter makes it 
better for the lice as well as the hens 
Just aswell raise all the stock your 
plant will carry, but do not over-crowd 
New blood often ‘saves the situation. 
Buy it from one of our advertisers, and 
get a square deal 
_. Love lightens the labour and 
fill the egg basket 
A farmer without poultry is like a fowl 
without feathers 
_ Get fixed on a good breed, then stick 
like glue 
heips to 
Miss Thompson 
Costumiere. 
0000 
High-Olass Dressmaking at. 
_ Moderate Charges. 
_ A Trial Solicited. 
Orders promptly & accurately— 
executed, 
000 
Address—- 
142 Pulteney-street. 
