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Show LEAVES' from Some Insect Pests One of the most common and destructive de-structive of all insect pests is the aphid or plant louse. Aphids are tiny, sap-sucking insects which swarm on terminal shoots of plants, on the under sides of leaves, or on any tender spot of the plant whence they are able to draw the life-giving fluids. Among the common garden vegetables which are subject to aphid attack are potatoes, peas, lettuce, let-tuce, cabbage, kale, spinach, string beans, musk melons, and water melons. mel-ons. Many of our common flowers such as roses, sweet peas, nasturtiums, nastur-tiums, and chrysanthemums are natural nat-ural feeding grounds for the aphids. When the gardener finds that the leaves of plants are curled or distorted, dis-torted, that the plants have a tendency ten-dency to droop and wilt, that flowers flow-ers are malformed, or that ants or other insects swarm among the plants to eat the honey-dew dropped by the aphids, he will know that he is up against an aphid infestation. As a matter of fact, the insects themselves are readily recognized, since they are tiny things, soft-bodied, pear-shaped, and range in color from pale green to pale pink, to blackish; bean aphids are black; spinach aphids are pale yellowish-green yellowish-green and carry three dark lines on the back of the abdomen. APHID INFESTATION Since aphids draw their nourishment nourish-ment from within the plants, they can not be controlled by stomach poisons but must be attacked with contact insecticides. The one most commonly used is nicotine solution or nicotine dust. The basic nicotine solution may be bought at any pharmacy phar-macy or any seed or plant house, and comes usually in a concentrate of about 40 per cent nicotine. It is then prepared for usu in the following manner: For a small quantity of spray, dissolve an ounce of common laundry soap to one gallon of water wa-ter and add 1 to H4 teaspoonfuls of the nicotine concentrate. For a larger quantity, prepare the soap solution in the same proportion and, to such soap solution, add one fluid ounce of the nicotine concentrate to eight gallons of water. Apply with a strong, direct spray, from various angles, so that all insects on the under parts of the plants will be reached. If a nicotine dust is preferred, mix a half ounce of the nicotine concentrate con-centrate with 9Vz ounces of hydra ted lime and dust the plants thoroughly with the mixture. Dusting should be done when the plants are dry and when the temperature is above 65 degrees F. Caution. The operator should avoid inhaling the dust as it will cause nose and throat irritation. CUTWORMS The villainous cutworm, that "terror "ter-ror that walks by night," is well known to all gardeners. They are fat, white worms, the larvae of certain cer-tain brown moths, that hide under the soil at the base of plants by day and come forth to their nefarious work by night, cutting off young plants at or near the surface of the soil. Preventive methods for control of cutworms. (1) Keep the garden well cultivated, leaving no grassy or sodded sod-ded areas where the moths may lay their eggs; (2) spade or plow the land in the fall, thus turning the young larvae up to the attacks of birds and weather. Control after infestation. If the garden is small it is possible to control con-trol cutworms by digging around the roots of the plants that have been cut down, dragging the culprits out and killing them. For larger areas, or for sure destruction anywhere, any-where, use a poison bran mash, made as follows: Paris green 2 level teaspoons Wheat bran 5 pounds Molasses 2 piint Water 5 quarts Mix the paris green and dry wheat bran together very thoroughly, making mak-ing sure that every particle of the bran is coated with the poison. Mix the molasses and water and add, slowly, to the poisoned bran, making mak-ing a rather dry mash. Scatter this mash, thinly, at sundown, around the plants to be protected. The worms will crawl out at night and consume the mash. If there is reason rea-son to suppose that your garden may become infested during the coming season, it is a good plan to cover the entire area with this poison poi-son bran mash, just before the planting is done. For iuTtber information on plant diseases and pests, send 10c to Superintendent ot Documents. Washington. D. C. asking lor Farmers' Bulletin No. 1746. MARSH MARIGOLD FOR GREENS The Cowslip or Marsh Marigold makes a delicious pot of greens if it is gathered when the leaves are still small and tender. This is, however, more easily said than done and the gatherer will need a pair of rubber boots, for this early spring flower grows in bogs and marshes. The plant's leaves are a smooth, glossy dark green. They may be cooked A'ith pork or bacon and served as hot greens, or cooked simply in salted salt-ed water and served, with a suitable suita-ble dressing, as a salad. |