4 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
Marcx 15, 1906. 
G2 ROSES. oF 
Insect ENEMIES. 
(By C. French, l.LS., F.E.S., Victorian 
Government Entomologist.) 
Waite Scats. 
A white scale insect infesting the rose, raspberry, 
blackberry, currant, and other members of the 
same orders of plants. Male, winged; colour, 
light amber with dark, irreguler markings, wings 
white. Female, wingless, eggs red colour, form 
oval. and from twenty to fifty under each scale. 
This serious pest of the rose is one which, if not 
well lcoked after, will not unly render the plant 
unsightly, but will kill the latter outright, so 
that, as in the case of most of our insect troubles, 
the spray pump must be kept going. Upon the 
first indications of the presence of this scale, cut 
the plant as hard back as possible for the time 
of the year. Get a nailbrush or somethin 
the kind, and after having burned the prun. ys, 
proceed to scrub the thicker shoots, using either 
a@ resin compound, kerosine emulsion, or even 
nicotine and soap boiled together, and with this 
give the woody parts a hard scrubbing. For the 
weaker shoots, spray with a well-diluted resin 
compound or soperine. If the plant be badly 
affected, take it carefully up during the months 
of either June or July, cut it back, then immerse 
the whole plant for 24 hours in a solution of 
tobacco water. Give the plant stems another 
good scrubbing, and after disinfecting the soil 
with some lime, or, better still, muriate of potash, 
replace the plant,and watch it carefully for a 
time. ‘The white scale is not easy |to stamp out, 
the great secret of success being to constantly 
watch the plant, and if the slightest traces of the 
scale be visible, act promptly. 
Loorer Carrerprtrars (GEoMETRiD Morus, 
SevERAL SPECIES), 
The so-called “loopers” are larvae of small 
moths, the name of looper having been given to 
the catterpillars on account of their looper-like 
attitude when in motion. The female moth de- 
posits her eggs upon the young bud of the rose 
blossom, and, when hatched, the tiny grub at 
ouce commences to bore into the bud. If not 
at ouce noticed, the blooms so attacked are done 
for. The geometers belong to a group of Lepi- 
doptera largely represented in Australia, and in- 
cluded amongst them are many of the worst of 
our “leaf-roller” pests so well-known to the 
rose-grower. Spray with either white hellebore, 
weak Paris-green, or nicotine. 
Rep Spiper (Txrranycuus TELaRtus). 
This well-known pest of growers is not, 
strictly speaking, an insect, asit belongs to the 
great group of acarids or mites. Still, I have 
considered it of sufficient importance to include 
in ,this article. The red spider is one of the 
most troublesome and, in some cases, one of the 
- most destructive of pests, the eggs remaining 
both in the soil and on the plants during the 
whole season. The tiny animals. when full grown, 
are red in colour, hence their title. Deterrants 
are here again in evidence. When the foliage is 
firm, spray with either quassia, hellebore, or a 
weak kerosine emulsion. When spraying keep 
a full strength solution for the soil, as upon ex- 
amination, especially if the soil bea heavy one, 
myriads of the tiny beasts are to be found in it, 
and there remain until the the late spring, when 
they sally out for their work of destruction. 
Where it can be judiciously done, keep the hose 
and syringe going, as once the “spider” tackles 
the}foliage,it soon spoils,the latter’s beauty. The 
red spider must be kept at in the early stages 
If the “ web” be once formed it is most difficult 
to destroy the pest without much injury to the 
plants themselves. Spimo, a great home remedy 
for spider on hops, might with advantage be tried 
here on roses as well as on other plants. 
RurHercLen Fry (Nystus s.P.) 
This is a small but formidable pest of the rose 
grower. ltis one of the tiny species of plant- 
bugs, and is one of the worst of our all-round 
insects. The perfect insects are winged, and are 
to be seen in countless millions. When they 
settle on a rose bloom they at once commence 
to drive their beaks into the petals, and then 
the whole of the nourishment required to form 
the perfect flow r is sucked cut, the buds being 
left on the plant, shrivelled, blackened and 
dying. As these insects congregate in rubbish 
it is desirable to mulch the roses with grass, 
and at daybreak remove the mulching bodi'y and 
burn it The crevices in the soil are also great 
harboring places for this pest. The soil should, 
therefore, be sprayed with a strong (1 in 8) 
kerosene emulsion. When the pest makes its 
Appearance it must e tackled at oace, and 
always either in the morning, before the sun 
gains*power, or after dusk. I[n the case of roses 
it will be difficult to use any material strong 
enough to kill the insects without damaging the 
tender foliage of the rose. Smoke fires, although 
successiul, is but a half-hearted way of dealing 
with the pest, for instead of destroying the in 
sects, you drive them «n to your neighbour’s 
property, where they hibe:nate until the fol- 
lowing season. 
The Rutherglen fly is a hard nut to crack, 
and will look at the ordinary treatment meted 
out to insect pests as merely in the livht of a 
huge joke, and will even thrive upon a spraying 
with undiluted fusel oil. I find, however, that 
the beast does net like either quassia chips or 
pyrethrum insecticides,so I would recommend 
these materials as worthy of a trial. 
Licht Brown Apprie Mors (Cacecia 
Responsana). 
This small but very destructive moth is next 
to the codlin, our most dangerous insect pest of 
the apple grower. The perfeci insect is yellowish 
brown, the grubs being not unlike those of the 
codlin moth. As in the former species alluded 
to, the eggs are deposited upon the face, also in 
the folds of the rose petals, and the grub, when 
hatched, eats into the bud, thereby causing it 
either to fall off the tree or is otherwise ren- 
dered useless. 
In the case of this pest deterrents should be 
used, and for this purpose the pyrethrum in- 
secticides dusted on the young flower buds are 
very useful. Occasional sprayings with a weak 
(Lin 20) kerosene emulsion has also been used 
by many with much success. This moth fre- 
quently deposits its eggs about dusk and early 
inthe morning, and owing to the great damage 
it does is well worth watching. I have seen a 
dozen or more buds ruined in a single night, 
and as the trouble is not at once noticeable, it 
will } e seen that careful observation and prompt 
treatment are necessary to attain success. 
Mxaty Bue (Dactylopius). 
The Mealy Bug of gardeners is a great pest, 
especially as it attacks the roots as well as the 
branches of the plant, and will be quite at home 
in soil of any kind, especially heavy soil. This 
pest is more troublesome to persons who force 
roses. either in pots or in tubs. The bug does 
not appear to do much harm to roses when they 
are planted out of doors. When this insect 
appears upon the plant above ground, spray 
with kerosene emulsion, and in spraying for this 
pest especially the liquid must be forced on to 
the plant with as much force as is consistent 
with the constitution of the rose that is to be 
treated. When tne bugis on the root of th» pant 
disinfect with either bisulphide of carbon 
placed in the soil by means of an injector, or 
sulphate of iron. In planting roses on old and 
used land, great care must be taken to treat the 
soil befere planting with some muriate of po- 
tash, which is «almost a specific against peach 
aphis when at the roots. 
Cur Worms (Euplexia Nigerrima and 
others). 
Cut Worm is a terrible pest in rose garjens, 
the habits of the parent mother being mostly 
similar to that of the preceding species. The 
larvee or grubs are of a dirty greenish brown 
colour, and are fairly active when at their work 
of destruction. This grub is a inost voracious 
feeder, and will ruin a large number of rosebuds 
in a very short space of time. It will also attack 
the leaves 
The moth of the species here named is black 
with a few white markings. We have reared it 
from the rose and the carnation buds. Other 
noctuid moth grubs will also tackle the rose, 
but this is, I fancy, the worst species for florists? 
flowers. 
Spray with white hellibore or nicotine. 
good plan is to mix bran, arsenic and treacle 
together into a paste,and at dusk lay pieces 
here and there amongst the plants. 
Hormula—b50 lbs bran, 12 lbs arsenic, 6 lbg 
treacle. 
Stick Case Morus (Metura and 
Entometa). 
These insects, whilst in the larval state, are a 
great trouble to growers. A very few of the 
grubs, with their singular stick nest, will soon 
make short work of the foliage of a rose or any 
other plant which they select for attack. 
The perfect insect is a small moth, The 
female is quite destitute of wings. It both 
makes and inhabits the case above mentioned 
The males, although common, are bnt rarely 
seen, and are best captured by means of placing 
a female under a wire meat cover or a sieve, ang 
in this way they are easily attracted. 
As an illustration, I may say that for near] 
50 years I have been collecting insects and have 
only secured two male specimens of these moths 
in the ordinary way. fortunately ‘hese grubs 
are easily destroyed. and a few applications 
usually suffice for that purpose. Take 1 Ib Paris 
green (paste form is the easiest), 4 lb lime, mix 
and dilute for most plants, say a gallon of the 
mixture to 160 gallons of water. The grubs 
being leaf eaters are at once poisoned by the 
material sprayed on to the parts affected, 
In the case of roses, it is seldom that the grub 
attacks the sounge until the latter is we}y 
ripened, so that the mixture can be used at a 
fairly strong rate. There are a few other and 
smaller stick case insects which go for the rose 
put these are not sufficiently numerous to dg 
any considerable damage. 
Jassip (Jassidee), 
We now come to a tiny green cicada beast 
which for its size, bids fair to become one of the 
rose growers’ worst pests; at least, when the 
plants are in bloom. This insect puts in an 
appearance in the hottest weather, and similap 
to the Rutherglen fly, simply swarms on the 
leaves as well as on the blooms. Comparatively 
this insect is of recent introduction as a garden 
pest, although it is supposed to be a native of 
this State. The group to which this insect ig 
allied contains some of the most extraordin, 
forms of all insect life. Let us hope that this 
beast may soon go hence. Deterrents in the way 
of quassia, hellebore, emulsions of all sorts, and 
also care as to the manure used, will have to be 
adopted. Trapping should be done soon after 
daylight, or after the sun has lost its power. 
