(GROWING PAINS continued from page 16) 
The inert should not have a calcium reaction, but 
should be neutral or slightly acid in reaction. Your 
chemical firm will know what to use for the inert 
to produce a neutral or slightly acid reaction. Use 
4 tablespoons to one gallon of water, if you use it as 
a spray. We prefer to use it as a dust. It’s simpler. 
For outside dusting borrow one of your wife’s 
sheerest sox, dump the dust in it and just shake it 
over the plants when there is no wind. Goes quick 
and does a good job. 
This mix will kill almost any bug that walks except 
possibly scales, and it will kill them too, if you get 
it on at the right moment. Mealy bug may take 
several applications, but it will get them too. It is 
not harmful to warm blooded animals. Of late we 
have been having a 1% malethion mixed in some, but 
because this latter substance has such a horrible 
odor, we use it only occasionally. Malethion is 
supposed to be one of the best of the bug killers 
however, and is supposed to give perfect control of 
scales. 
Dusts can be applied regardless of hot weather, but 
sprays will burn foliage at temperature over 90 
degrees. 
Incidently, the above dust (or spray material, if you 
Mostly Rhedodendrons, Pieris and Azaleas. 
prefer spraying) may be used on almost any kinds 
of plants for control of insects and leaf diseases. It 
will not burn Viburnums, for instance, and the lady 
of cur house uses it on all of her house plants. (Try 
the Blue Ridge Fruit Exchange, Waynesboro, Penna., 
for PEST-HEX.) 
So there you have the story of how to profitably and 
(Continued on page 19) 
18 
