The Culture Of Vegetables And Flowers From Seeds And Roots Part 46

==Celery Fly.==--The apparent blisters in Celery leaves are spots deficient of leaf-green, which the larva of the Celery Fly has eaten.

Dusting newly-planted Celery with lime or soot may do something to prevent the fly from laying its eggs, but the most certain preventive is to boil half a pound of coal tar in one gallon of water for twenty minutes, add fifty gallons of clear water, and syringe the plants about noon once or twice from the middle to the end of June. When once the grub has made a home, it should be crushed by pinching the leaf between the finger and thumb, or the injured portions of the leaves should be cut out and burned. In doing this it must always be remembered that the leaves are as much needed by the plant as the roots, and every leaf removed tends to diminish the vigour of the plant. Our ill.u.s.tration shows the Celery Fly (formerly known as =Tephritis onopordinis=, but now called =Acidia heraclei=) natural size and magnified. This fly is also destructive to the leaves of Parsnips, and is named =onopordinis= from its habit of frequenting the Cotton Thistle (=Onopordon Acanthium=). The larva is white to very pale green, the fly is shining tawny. An Ichneumon Fly detects the larva of the Celery Fly in the Celery and Parsnip leaves, and lays its eggs in the body of the larva. These parasites, named =Alysia apii=, a.s.sist in reducing the numbers of the Celery Fly.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CELERY FLY AND LARVA =Acidia heraclei=]

All Celery refuse should be destroyed by fire. Infested ground may, if suitable, be trenched, bringing the subsoil to the surface and burying the top soil containing the pupae. Frequent rough digging and the exposure of fresh surfaces to be searched by birds will also do something to abate the number of this pest. But in bad cases it will be necessary to resort to gas-lime, which poisons the pupae and eventually benefits the soil, although in the season immediately following its use crops may be less satisfactory than usual.

==Onion Fly.==--Onions are frequently attacked by the larvae of the Onion Fly, and in some instances the entire crop is destroyed. Our ill.u.s.tration shows the natural size of the fly and maggot, with magnified representations of both. The fly lays six to eight eggs on an Onion plant, generally just above the ground. These eggs hatch in from five to seven days, according to the temperature, and the maggots at once burrow into the Onion. The result is soon visible in the discoloration of the leaves which turn yellow and begin to decay.

Several generations of the insect, the scientific name of which is =Phorbia cepetorum=, appear in the course of a single season. A close ally is the Cabbage Root Fly (=P. bra.s.sicae=), the destroyer of Cabbage roots.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ONION FLY AND LARVA =Phorbia cepetorum=]

Among the numerous methods of preventing attack and of destroying the grubs the following are worth attention:--

Where this pest proves very troublesome it may be desirable to transfer Onion growing to new ground until the infested land has been purged of the pupae. Instead of throwing useless Onion material on the waste heap to afford the fly a home for its eggs, every sc.r.a.p should be burned. As the preparation of an Onion bed approaches completion, powdered lime well mixed with soot, in the proportion of two bushels of the former to one of the latter, may be sown evenly over the surface and raked in.

Sand impregnated with paraffin sown along the drills has answered as a preventive. Vaporite is a destroyer of the pupae; this preparation has proved deadly to ground vermin generally. Earthing up the Onions was proved by Miss Ormerod's experiment to be effective. The objection to this procedure is the probability of enlarged necks which are not wanted. An emulsion, composed of one pint of paraffin, one pound of soft soap mixed with ten gallons of water, thoroughly churned by a hand syringe and sprayed over the young plants in a fine mist, is a valuable preventive. The dose may be repeated after rainfall, if necessary. The quant.i.ties named suffice for a small plot only. Soapsuds are destructive to the maggots, disagreeable to the fly, and beneficial to the young plants. The suds should be sprayed over the bed from a watering can on the first appearance of a yellow colour in the gra.s.s. As a final suggestion reference may be made to a singular fact which we do not profess to explain, viz. that transplanted Onions are very seldom touched by grub. The modern practice of raising seedlings under gla.s.s in January or February, and planting out in open beds in April, offers the advantage of a long season of growth combined with comparative immunity from attack by the Onion Fly.

==Turnip Fly,== or ==Flea,== is well known to the gardener, and is the most troublesome of all the aerial pests of the farm, and one with which it is most difficult to cope, not only because of its general diffusion and numbers, but because it produces a succession of broods throughout the summer, and is therefore always in force, ready to devour the crop immediately it appears. The so-called 'Fly' is a small beetle named =Haltica (Phyllotreta) nemorum=, strongly made, and decidedly voracious.

The larvae are not to be feared, except that, of course, they in due time become beetles. In the perfect state this winged jumping insect makes havoc of the rising plant of Turnips, but the crop is only in danger while in the seed-leaf stage. It is in the spring and early summer chiefly that the ravages of these insects occasion perplexity, for they awaken from their winter torpor active and hungry, and have a ready appet.i.te for almost any cruciferous plant. Hence we see the leaves of Radishes pierced by them, and all such weeds as Charlock, Cuckoo Flower, Hedge Garlic, and Water Cress serve them for food until the Turnip crops are on the move, when they will travel miles, even against the wind, to wreck the farmer's hopes. The Cabbage Flea (=Haltica oleracea=) in some districts is equally troublesome, if not more so. Whole Cabbages may be destroyed by this pest, and even Hops are often ruined by it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: TURNIP FLY, OR FLEA =Haltica (Phyllotreta) nemorum= (with larva and chrysalis)]

Preventive and remedial measures that can easily be carried out in a garden may be impracticable on a farm. We propose to enumerate them briefly as they occur to us, leaving the ultimate choice of weapons to those who may unfortunately find occasion to use them.

One precaution is to insure a quick germination of the seed and strong growth of the plant in its seed-leaf stage. The cotyledons are tender and tasty, perhaps sugary from Nature's process of malting; and while the seed-leaf is a.s.sailable the =Haltica= makes the best of the shining hour. The seed sown should be all of one age, and the newest possible, because of the need for a quick and strong growth. When a powerful artificial is sown with the seed, the quant.i.ty of seed must be increased, as a proportion may be killed by the manure. It is important always to drill Turnip seed; broadcasting seems to invite the Fly--at all events, a drilled crop is generally safer. Before sowing, the seed may be soaked in paraffin or turpentine. Of the two the latter appears to be the more successful in keeping the insects at bay.

Rolling an infested plant disturbs and weakens the insects and stimulates the young plant.

The sprinkling of slaked lime over the seedlings is at once a safe and an efficient process, and possesses the additional advantage of being beneficial to the plant. We are aware that it does not always succeed, but we are inclined to attribute the failure to a bad quality of the lime, or a careless method of employing it. There should be enough put on to make the plants white, and they will be none the worse for the whitening. Dustings of fine ashes or soot are scarcely less effective, but salt must not be used, for it injures the plants and does not hurt the beetle. All such dustings should be done in the early morning, while the plants are wet with dew. To apply a dusting at midday, when the sun shines gaily, is to waste time, and probably many of the recorded failures might be explained if we knew at what hour and in what sort of weather the work was done. Nets and sticking boards have been tried and found effectual, and yet such things are rarely used. A board thickly covered with white paint, drawn over the plot on a still, sunny day, soon becomes a black board by the myriads of =Halticas= that jump at and remain attached to it, the victims of their extravagant love of light.

Old sacks soaked in paraffin and drawn over the drills impart a disagreeable flavour to the leaves, and a very fine spray of paraffin distributed by a machine specially constructed for the purpose has proved effective.

Finally, this, in common with all other insects in the winged state, needs a dry air and some degree of warmth for its health and happiness.

Many kinds of larvae need moisture, but no winged insect can abide moisture long, and herein is a clue to the eradication of Turnip Fly. By the simple process of spraying the plant three or four times a day, until it is out of the seed-leaf, and the danger is over, it is possible in the garden to wash out the =Haltica=; and any kind of insecticide or flavouring, such as qua.s.sia, may be mingled with the water to render the plants distasteful to the insects.

The ill.u.s.tration on page 422 shows the Turnip Fly in its three stages, and in each case of the natural size and magnified seven diameters.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DADDY LONGLEGS, OR CRANE FLY =Tipula oleracea= (in various stages)]

==Daddy Longlegs==, or ==Crane Fly==, in its perfect form of a fly (=Tipula oleracea=) does no harm, but the grubs, known by the familiar name of 'leather-jackets' owing to the toughness of their skins, are terribly destructive. During late summer and autumn the female fly deposits its eggs in large numbers in turf, in garden soil and amongst garden refuse.

The eggs are hatched in a fortnight or so and the dark grubs lie in the ground through the winter, inflicting their maximum, amount of injury to young crops in spring and early summer. Where song birds are scarce the Tipula is capable of utterly destroying gra.s.s and of seriously ravaging the Kitchen Garden; but cultivation, aided by the robins, thrushes, nightingales, and other birds, will keep the insect within bounds, even after a hot summer favourable to its increase. Where this pest is known to exist, an application of Vaporite at the time of preparing ground for sowing or planting will destroy many of the grubs. The regular use of the hoe is also to be recommended, for by the disturbance of the soil the enemy is exposed to the sharp eye of the robin and other feathered gardeners.

==Root-knot Eelworm.==--One of the worst pests that a Cuc.u.mber-grower has to deal with manifests itself by the presence of minute warts or nodosities, chiefly on the rootlets. These warts, which are caused by the action of innumerable small thread-like worms named =Heterodera radicicola=, range from the size of a pin's head to that of a pea, and when they are present in large numbers the total failure of the Cuc.u.mber crop is the invariable result. The eelworms are probably introduced to Cuc.u.mber-houses in infected water. Each worm is about one-seventyfifth of an inch in length and is at first coiled up inside a transparent egg.

At maturity the eggs crack open, and the worms on emerging bore into the most tender rootlets, and there lay their eggs. These eggs speedily hatch inside the plant and new eelworms are produced, which traverse the rootlets in every direction.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ROOT-KNOT EELWORMS AND EGGS (=Heterodera radicicola=)]

These =Heterodera= are by no means peculiar to the Cuc.u.mber; they attack the roots of Tomatoes and Melons, and the roots, stems, and foliage of many other plants. Our ill.u.s.tration shows some very small Cuc.u.mber rootlets, natural size, with the eelworms in the eggs, and also emerging from and free of the empty eggsh.e.l.l (enlarged eighty diameters).

Immediately symptoms of the pest are apparent from the wilting of the foliage and stems, all infected plants should be removed and burned. The soil must also be cleared out and the interior of the house thoroughly washed with a solution of carbolic acid in water:--one part of the former to eight parts of the latter. To purify the infected soil, use a solution of carbolic acid (one part) and water (twenty parts) and saturate three times, at intervals of a fortnight. Another remedy is to mix weathered gas-lime freely with the soil. In either case the soil will be unfit for use for at least six weeks after treatment. When the house has been well cleansed, fresh compost should be used, to which the addition of lime and soot, mixed with the soil, will be beneficial.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MEALY BUG =Dactylopius odonidum=]

==Mealy Bug.==--This plague is by no means confined to plants under gla.s.s.

In the case of a lot of stove plants badly affected, the desperate course of committing the whole to the fire, and then repairing and painting the house, is often the cheapest in the end. We have known a Pine-grower compelled to destroy a houseful of plants that have been infested by the introduction of a plant from a buggy collection. Mealy Bug may be known by its mealy, floury, or cottony appearance. It has a great fancy for Grape vines. One of the best remedies is Gishurst Compound, prepared at the rate of eight ounces to a gallon of water, with clay added to give it the consistence of paint. Miscellaneous stove plants may be cleansed by washing with a brush and soft soap. Our ill.u.s.tration shows a group of Mealy Bugs natural size, with one insect magnified.

[Ill.u.s.tration: RED SPIDER =Tetranychus telarius=]

==Red Spider== is present in almost every vinery, however well managed. A moist atmosphere is a great, though not a certain preventive; but it is not possible, without injury to the vines, to keep the air of the house always so humid that the Spider is unable to obtain a lodgment.

Syringing promotes a moist atmosphere, and is unfavourable to the Red Spider, which thrives best in heat and dryness. But the most decided repellent of Spider is the use of sulphur on the hot-water pipes. This may be managed by sprinkling dry sulphur on the pipes, or by making a thick solution of sulphur, clay, and water, with which the pipes should be painted. Be careful not to raise the heat at the same time, for if the pipes are hotter than the hand can bear fumes destructive to vegetation will be given off. Melons and Cuc.u.mbers may generally be kept clear of Spider by means of the syringe only; but when Melons are ripening they must be kept rather dry, and it is very difficult indeed to finish a crop without having the plants attacked by Red Spider.

Gishurst Compound answers admirably to remove Spider from house plants.

The mixture should consist of one and a half or two ounces to one gallon of water, and should be applied with a sponge. The scientific name of the Red Spider is =Tetranychus telarius=. Our ill.u.s.tration shows one of these destructive red mites natural size, and two individuals greatly magnified.

==Scale.==--A very common species, found on many kinds of stove and other plants, is the =Lecanium hibernaculorum=, here ill.u.s.trated on a twig, natural size, and magnified. It is brown, tumid, and commonly somewhat more than hemispherical in shape. Besides this species there is the =L.

filic.u.m= of Ferns, the =L. hemisph.o.e.ric.u.m= of Dracaenas, the =L.

rotundum= of the Peach, and the common =L. hesperidum=, or Orange-tree Bug, which is one of the flat species, and it spreads to a great variety of plants. The Scale insect sucks the sap from plants, and in some instances the ground beneath the foliage is wet and soddened by the falling sap. Spirit of turpentine applied with a soft brush is considered to be a good remedy for Scale. It is, however, advisable (as in other remedies) to test this on a small number of plants at first. A near relative, a large brown =Coccus=, infests pomaceous trees, and is especially partial to the Pyracantha, which it often kills outright. The Scale of the Vine is =Pulvinaria= or =Coccus vitis=. Careful washing with soap and water, and the destruction of each separate Scale as soon as seen, can be recommended for the extirpation of this pest.

[Ill.u.s.tration: COMMON SCALE =Lecanium hibernaculorum= (natural size and enlarged)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THRIPS]

==Thrips== may pursue their mischief to a great extent before they are discovered by the novice, for their minute size and their habit render them inconspicuous. But the black deposit they make reveals their existence to the experienced eye, and the debilitated condition of the plants they have attacked would soon compel attention were there no such deposit to tell the tale. The Indian Azaleas are apt to be beset by Thrips, as the Grape-vine is by Scale, the Pineapple by Mealy Bug, and the Rose by Green Aphis. Atmospheric humidity is a powerful preventive, as is also the promotion of vigorous growth by a plentiful supply of water to the roots of the plants; in fact, starvation and a dry, hot air will soon bring an attack of Thrips. Generally speaking, the best remedy is fumigation with tobacco. Or tobacco water and a solution of soft soap, together or separately, if carefully applied, speedily make an end of this troublesome pest. A special preparation may be made as follows: Take six pounds of soft soap, and dissolve in twelve gallons of water, add half a gallon of strong tobacco water, and dip the plants in the mixture. Before they become dry, dip again in pure rainwater to remove the mixture. If too large to dip, apply the mixture with the syringe, and in the course of a quarter of an hour or so syringe with pure rainwater. Our ill.u.s.tration shows the Thrips in the larval and winged state, natural size and greatly magnified.

==Ants.==--These extremely interesting insects are frequently troublesome in gardens, and in the spring of the year the small red species mars the appearance of lawns by throwing up numerous heaps of fine soil. It is easy to destroy them by dropping a mixture of Paris Green and sugar near their runs. But as Paris Green is a poison, animal life must be considered. We recommend a simple remedy which entails no danger, but it must be followed up persistently. Purchase a few common sponges, as large as a man's fist. Dissolve one pound of Demerara sugar in two quarts of warm water. Immerse the sponges, wring out nearly all the liquid, and place them near the ant runs. Twice daily throw the sponges into hot water, and repeat the process until the ants are cleared. Nests located under walls can be destroyed by boiling water.

==Caterpillars== cannot often be treated in a wholesale way without injury to the plant. Hence it is usual to rely on hand-picking, and, tedious as this may be, a little perseverance will accomplish wonders. We have seen a fruit garden, literally hideous with cl.u.s.ters of Caterpillars in spring, completely cleared by a few days' steady work, costing but a trifle, and only needing to be conducted so that in removing the vermin there should be no harm done to the crops. In the same way the Gooseberry grub should be disposed of. Precautions cannot be taken against Caterpillars, but the careful cultivator will in good time look for patches of eggs and cl.u.s.ters of young Caterpillars on the under sides of leaves, and will carefully nip off the leaves on which the colonies are feeding, and make an end of them. This enemy cannot be raked in rank and file, but must be taken in detail, as in guerilla warfare.

==Earwigs== are the dread of the florist, for they spoil his best Dahlias and Hollyhocks, and are too partial to Chrysanthemums. They are readily trapped, as they like to go up to a high, dry, dark retreat; hence a bit of dry moss in a small flower-pot, inverted on a stake, will entice them into your hands; and if you are determined to keep down Earwigs, this way is sure, though, perhaps, not easy, because it must be followed up morning and evening from the beginning of June onwards. The hollow stems of the Bean make good traps, as indeed do hollow stems of any kind, for Earwigs love to creep into close, dark shelters after their nocturnal meal; and the cultivator who has resolved that he will not be eaten up by them needs only to persevere, and he may depend on trapping every Earwig within the boundaries. Unfortunately, they use their wings freely, and so travel from the sluggard's garden to find 'fresh woods and pastures new.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: EARWIG (with wings spread, magnified)]

==Slugs== are serious plagues to the gardener, and they sometimes appear in large numbers so suddenly as to suggest the idea that the little Slugs have come down in showers. Young crops are especially liable to injury from these vermin, and it is not easy, even in well-kept gardens, to keep them down. Constant attention is necessary, particularly in wet seasons. But here, as in the case of many other kinds of vermin, means may be adopted that will accomplish the double purpose of destroying the plague and benefiting the land; for lime, salt, soot, and nitrate of soda are certain Slug-killers, and will usually pay for their employment by their enrichment of the ground. The nice point always is to employ them advantageously. It should further be borne in mind that a Slug slightly touched by lime or salt has the power of throwing it off by means of the slimy exudation with which the creature is endowed. But if again quickly a.s.sailed in a similar manner death is certain to follow.

Land made ready for sowing may be pretty well cleared of Slugs by broadcasting it with salt. Unfortunately, these destroyers are only effective in fine weather. In rainy seasons, or when a crop is rising, it is necessary to resort to trapping, and many kinds of vegetable refuse make tempting baits for Slugs. Pieces of Orange peel, suitably placed, are soon covered with the vermin, especially in the winter during intervals of frost. Cabbage leaves, sliced Turnips and Potatoes, or almost any waste vegetable may be used. The traps should be scattered about at dusk, and be gathered up in the morning, and buried in pits, or destroyed by fire.

Gas-lime is highly destructive to Slugs, but when first applied it is poisonous to plant life. An excellent method of using it is to dress the surface in autumn at the rate of from four to six cwt. per acre, and to dig the ground deeply four weeks later.

Rows of Peas are easily protected by a covering of barley sweepings, or by charcoal broken very small and flavoured with paraffin. Slaked lime, carefully used, is also employed with satisfactory results.

==Snails.==--In their methods of attacking garden vegetation, and in the extent of damage they cause, Snails may be placed in the same category as Slugs. During the day the Snail usually remains in hiding, emerging from rockeries and creeper-covered walls in the evening or after a shower of rain. They may be trapped by one of the methods suggested for Slugs, and preference should be given to the use of Cabbage leaves. It will, however, be safer to protect young plants by giving heavy dressings of lime or soot. Hand picking is the surest means of dealing with them, and in the winter months large numbers may be collected from among box edgings, the base of ivy-covered walls and similar shelters.

Birds, especially thrushes, show a marked partiality for Snails.

==Wasps== are a terrible scourge in some gardens. They spoil a large quant.i.ty of fruit, and jeopardise the remainder by forcing the harvest before the crops are ready for gathering. When the localities of the Wasps' nests are known, it is a simple task to dispose of them.

Turpentine and gunpowder were formerly in vogue, especially among the younger members of the community, to whom a spice of danger is always an attractive element in the fun. But these are clumsy methods of destruction and will not compare with the far easier remedy of poisoning the colonies by means of cyanide of pota.s.sium. Dissolve one ounce of the drug in a quarter of a pint of water. This will be sufficient to destroy several nests, but it is a deadly poison, and must be kept in a place of safety. Soak a piece of rag in the fluid, and lay it over the entrance to the nest. There is no occasion to run away; not a Wasp will venture out, and those which return from foraging will not lose their tempers and find yours, but at each successive attempt to enter their home they will become feebler, until they fall near or beneath the drugged rag.

After an hour or two the nest may be dug out, when every insect, including queen and pupae, will be found dead.

If the colonies lie beyond your frontier, or their positions cannot be ascertained, the enemy must be disposed of by stratagem and in detail.

One of the best modes of trapping them is to put some injured fruit beneath one of the trees, and over it a hand-light raised about three inches above the ground by stones or pieces of wood placed at the four corners. This light must have a rather large hole at the top. Upon it should rest another light from which egress is prevented, except through the apex of the lower light. After the Wasps have visited the fruit, they will rise into the first light, and gradually find their way through the opening into the one above, from which not one insect in a hundred will escape. In a trap of this kind we have seen an enormous number of Wasps and Hornets which had been lured to death within a few hours.

Another simple and effective method of destroying these pests is to pour a small quant.i.ty of ale mixed with sugar into gla.s.s jars and suspend them from branches of Pear or Plum trees. The vessels must be emptied every few days and the liquid renewed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WIREWORM (natural size and magnified)]