CHAPTER XIV PLANT ENEMIES AND INSECTICIDES

The well-tended garden does not suffer materially from inroads of insect pests especially in favorable seasons; cool, damp weather, and hot, muggy¹ weather are conducive² to fungoid diseases which sap the strength of the plants and make them less resistant³ to any kind of assaults, whether of insects or disease, but with normal weather and bright dry air a part of each day at least, little trouble should be experienced from insect pests; especially should this be the case if precautionary work has been done the previous fall in the way of gathering⁴ up and burning all rubbish that can harbor insects or disease and especially if the precaution is taken to fall plough the garden, leaving the soil in the rough furrow⁵ over winter. This is especially good practice when there has been trouble with209 insect pests, especially cutworms, root lice, tomato worms—the pupae of which winter in the ground and if turned up by the plough will be destroyed, radish and cabbage maggot and the like.

Even though the past season has been practically free from trouble of this sort the intelligent gardener will recognize the possibility of trouble and in time of peace will prepare for war by supplying himself with the more common and useful varieties of insecticides. It is not desirable that the list should include everything in the bug⁶ pharmacop?ia; a few standard remedies faithfully and intelligently used are far better than an embarrassing assortment⁷ that leaves one undecided as to which is best and often results in half-hearted use of first one and then the other, with lax intervals⁸ which give the enemy time to recuperate⁹ and multiply.

It is best in deciding upon the insecticides and fungicides to be used to have a clear classification in mind of the several kinds of insect to be exterminated¹⁰ as one form of poison may not be suited to all forms of insect life: for instance, insects210 which chew or eat the leaves of the plants to which they are addicted¹¹, as the potato beetle¹², caterpillar¹³ and the like, can most readily be destroyed by poison applied¹⁴ to the foliage¹⁵; insects which do not eat the vegetation on the surface, but puncture¹⁶ it and drain away by suction the juices of the plant, like the aphis and other plant lice, will not be injured by surface poison, but must be destroyed by the contact of corrosive¹⁷ poison with their bodies, or with hot water, which is one of the best insecticides known, not only destroying all insect life with which it comes in contact, but cleansing¹⁸ and strengthening the plants. It should be used as a spray at about a hundred and forty degrees, taking pains to reach the underside of the leaves as well as the upper surface, and as it can be used when the fruit is in any stage of growth its advantage is obvious.

For the eating or chewing insects and beetles¹⁹ there are several reliable poisons on the market, all ready for use, needing only to be mixed with a definite bulk of water, flour or lime, according as the poison is to be used as a dust or a spray.

211

ARSENATE OF LEAD

Used for all chewing insects that attack foliage and fruit trees; will not wash off nor burn the foliage. Use two or three pounds to fifty gallons of water as a spray. Price about forty-five cents a pound.

ARSENATE OF ZINC²⁰

A quick-acting adhesive²¹ insecticide for potato bugs²², rose beetles and vegetables that have not headed sufficiently²³ to be injurious if touched with the poison. Forty-five cents per pound.

BUG DEATH

Used instead of Paris green for eating insects on potatoes, squashes, melons, eggplants, cucumbers. Twenty-five cents a pound; directions accompany it.

PARIS GREEN

For all chewing insects. As a dust use one part of the poison to one hundred parts plaster, or flour; as a spray, one pound Paris green to212 one hundred and fifty to three hundred gallons of water according to the tenderness of the foliage. Sixty-five cents per pound.

PYROX

For eating insects, fungus²⁴ growth, blight²⁵ and rot. Adheres to foliage. One pound to six gallons of water. Forty cents per pound.

SLUG SHOT

For potato bugs, tomato and cabbage worms, lice aphis and worms—use as dust with blow gun. Twenty cents a pound.

For fungoid diseases, blight and rot the various Bordeaux mixtures, single and combined with the arsenates so as to take the place of a separate poison for chewing insects, are suggested.

BORDEAUX MIXTURE

The standard remedy against fungus, rust²⁶ and rot. Five ounces to one gallon of water is standard strength. Spray at intervals until fruits sets, for potatoes till danger of late blight is passed. Thirty-five cents a pound.

213

BORDEAUX-ARSENATE OF LEAD

A combined fungicide and insecticide for potatoes, melons, cucumbers and squash. Three ounces to one gallon of water. Spray once a week or every ten days. Forty cents per pound.

KEROSENE²⁷ EMULSION

For all soft-bodied, sucking insects, especially aphis and lice. One pound of paste to ten gallons of water. Paste, thirty cents a pound.

Directions for Preparing

KEROSENE EMULSION

Dissolve one-half pound of soap in one gallon of boiling water, add two gallons of kerosene, and force through a spray pump again and again until an emulsion is formed. Dilute²⁸ from ten to twenty-five times before applying. Use rain-water for making solution.

BORDEAUX-ARSENATE OF LEAD

One pound of arsenate of lead with fifty gallons of Bordeaux mixture for all eating insects and fungoid diseases.

214

BORDEAUX MIXTURE

Dissolve six pounds of copper²⁹ sulphate by hanging it in a bag of coarse cloth in an earthen or wooden vessel³⁰ containing four to six gallons of water, and dilute with twenty-five gallons of water. Slake³¹ four pounds of lime, diluting³² to twenty-five gallons and mix by pouring the two solutions into a third vessel. This is of such universal use that the large quantity will not be excessive, especially when combined with the arsenical preparations.

Vegetables and Insects and Diseases
Attacking Them

ASPARAGUS

Keep the beds closely cut in spring and as soon as the shoots are allowed to grow spray with Bordeaux-arsenate of lead mixture.

BEANS-ANTHRACNOSE

Spray with Bordeaux mixture when an inch or two high and repeat as necessary.

215

BEAN BEETLE

Spray with kerosene emulsion, being sure that it reaches every part of the under side of the leaves.

BEAN WEEVIL

Fumigate³³ the seed before planting with carbon-bisulphide, in a closed vessel for twenty-four hours or with formaldehyde, using one teaspoonful³⁴ to a pint³⁵ of water and wetting the seed and covering close a few hours.

FLEA³⁶ BEETLE

Spray with arsenate of lead or Bordeaux-arsenate mixture.

BEET-LEAF SPOT

Spray with Bordeaux mixture and repeat once in two weeks but the leaves must not be used for greens after spraying begins.

CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER

Aphis: spray with kerosene emulsion and repeat as needful until the heads are nearly grown.

216

CABBAGE WORM

Spray with poisoned resin³⁷-lime mixture if the plants are young; after heads have formed use kerosene emulsion or hot water, preferably the latter.

CABBAGE ROOT MAGGOT

Protect the plants with disks of tar³⁸ paper and wet the soil with Paris green solution or emulsion composed of one pound of soap, one gallon of boiling water and one pint of crude carbolic acid diluted³⁹ with forty parts of water, using sufficient to soak the soil several inches.

CELERY BLIGHT

Spray with Bordeaux mixture once in two weeks, until plants are half grown.

CUCUMBERS

For the striped beetle, use tobacco dust about the hills. Spray plants and ground with kerosene emulsion. Wrap rags saturated⁴⁰ with kerosene about sticks and stick in center of hills to repel⁴¹ bugs with the odor. Better still, protect217 hills with frames of wire screening or mosquito netting. Spray with Bordeaux-arsenate of lead every two weeks.

SQUASH BUG

Hand pick the first bugs that appear and find and destroy all eggs. Dust with Bug Death. Protect with wire cloth.

BLIGHT

Leaves become spotted⁴² or covered with down. Spray every two weeks with Bordeaux mixture.

ONIONS

Blight.—Spray every ten days with two-thirds strength Bordeaux mixture. Root lice.—Open trench⁴³ along side the plants and apply salt freely.

PEAS—APHIS

Spray with kerosene emulsion until pods are filling; then spray with hot water.

PEAS—MILDEW

Spray with Bordeaux mixture containing resin wash to make it stick, or with Pyrox.

218

POTATO—COLORADO BEETLE

Hand pick to destroy eggs. If young appear spray or dust with Paris green or Pyrox and repeat as often as necessary.

FLEA BEETLE

Keep plants well covered with Bordeaux mixture or Pyrox.

SCAB

Do not plant on freshly manured land, should be manured in fall or February at latest. Soak seed in formaldehyde before planting and dip each piece in sulphur.

SQUASH BORER

Slit⁴⁴ infested⁴⁵ stem and destroy worm and cover injured branch with earth or stone.

SQUASH BUGS

Use tobacco stems freely about hills. Spray with hot water very early in morning.

TOMATO

For leaf-blight.—Spray with Bordeaux mixture every ten days.

219

TOMATO WORMS

Pick worms, gather eggs and spray with Paris green or Pyrox. Do not use poison after the fruit is set. Fall-plough the tomato lot to rid the soil of the chrysalids of the worm.

CAUTION

In nearly all cases of surface infestation⁴⁶ of plants, the insects can be destroyed with clear hot water, hot soapsuds of either whale oil soap or ivory soap or kerosene emulsion and this should be the first resort, using poison solutions only when the former fail to give relief.

Bordeaux mixture is so generally indicated for all diseases of foliage and kerosene for so large a number of insects that it pays to prepare these at home in the large quantities and have them always on hand. The kerosene sometimes "goes back" and needs to be forced with the pump into a fresh emulsion.

1 muggy   

adj.闷热的；adv.（天气）闷热而潮湿地；n.（天气）闷热而潮湿

参考例句：

• We may expect muggy weather when the rainy season begins.雨季开始时，我们预料有闷热的天气。
• It was muggy and overcast.天气闷热潮湿，而且天色阴沉。

2 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

3 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 furrow   

n.沟；垄沟；轨迹；车辙；皱纹

参考例句：

• The tractor has make deep furrow in the loose sand.拖拉机在松软的沙土上留下了深深的车辙。
• Mei did not weep.She only bit her lips,and the furrow in her brow deepened.梅埋下头，她咬了咬嘴唇皮，额上的皱纹显得更深了。

6 bug   

n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器

参考例句：

• There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
• The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。

7 assortment   

n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集

参考例句：

• This shop has a good assortment of goods to choose from.该店各色货物俱全，任君选择。
• She was wearing an odd assortment of clothes.她穿着奇装异服。

8 intervals   

n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

9 recuperate   

v.恢复

参考例句：

• Stay in the hospital for a few more days to recuperate.再住院几天，好好地恢复。
• He went to the country to recuperate.他去乡下养病去了。

10 exterminated   

v.消灭，根绝( exterminate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It was exterminated root and branch. 它被彻底剪除了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The insects can be exterminated by spraying DDT. 可以用喷撒滴滴涕的方法大量杀死这种昆虫。 来自《用法词典》

11 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

12 beetle   

n.甲虫，近视眼的人

参考例句：

• A firefly is a type of beetle.萤火虫是一种甲虫。
• He saw a shiny green beetle on a leaf.我看见树叶上有一只闪闪发光的绿色甲虫。

13 caterpillar   

n.毛虫，蝴蝶的幼虫

参考例句：

• A butterfly is produced by metamorphosis from a caterpillar.蝴蝶是由毛虫脱胎变成的。
• A caterpillar must pass through the cocoon stage to become a butterfly.毛毛虫必须经过茧的阶段才能变成蝴蝶。

14 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

15 foliage   

n.叶子，树叶，簇叶

参考例句：

• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage.小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
• Dark foliage clothes the hills.浓密的树叶覆盖着群山。

16 puncture   

n.刺孔，穿孔；v.刺穿，刺破

参考例句：

• Failure did not puncture my confidence.失败并没有挫伤我的信心。
• My bicycle had a puncture and needed patching up.我的自行车胎扎了个洞，需要修补。

17 corrosive   

adj.腐蚀性的；有害的；恶毒的

参考例句：

• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。
• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。

18 cleansing   

n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词

参考例句：

• medicated cleansing pads for sensitive skin 敏感皮肤药物清洗棉
• Soap is not the only cleansing agent. 肥皂并不是唯一的清洁剂。

19 beetles   

n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Beetles bury pellets of dung and lay their eggs within them. 甲壳虫把粪粒埋起来，然后在里面产卵。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This kind of beetles have hard shell. 这类甲虫有坚硬的外壳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

20 zinc   

n.锌；vt.在...上镀锌

参考例句：

• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
• Zinc is used to protect other metals from corrosion.锌被用来保护其他金属不受腐蚀。

21 adhesive   

n.粘合剂；adj.可粘着的，粘性的

参考例句：

• You'll need a strong adhesive to mend that chair. 你需要一种粘性很强的东西来修理那把椅子。
• Would you give me an adhesive stamp?请给我一枚带胶邮票好吗？

22 bugs   

adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误

参考例句：

• All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞，都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

24 fungus   

n.真菌，真菌类植物

参考例句：

• Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
• This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。

25 blight   

n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残

参考例句：

• The apple crop was wiped out by blight.枯萎病使苹果全无收成。
• There is a blight on all his efforts.他的一切努力都遭到挫折。

26 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。

27 kerosene   

n.(kerosine)煤油，火油

参考例句：

• It is like putting out a fire with kerosene.这就像用煤油灭火。
• Instead of electricity,there were kerosene lanterns.没有电，有煤油灯。

28 dilute   

vt.稀释，冲淡；adj.稀释的，冲淡的

参考例句：

• The water will dilute the wine.水能使酒变淡。
• Zinc displaces the hydrogen of dilute acids.锌置换了稀酸中的氢。

29 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

30 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

31 slake   

v.解渴，使平息

参考例句：

• We had to slake ourselves with rainwater in the desert.在沙漠中我们不得不用雨水解渴。
• A menu will not satisfy your hunger,a formula will not slake your thirst.菜单不可能填饱你的肚子，一套准则也不可能消除你的饥渴。

32 diluting   

稀释，冲淡( dilute的现在分词 )； 削弱，使降低效果

参考例句：

• A companion would have been a distraction, diluting the pathos of the moment. 要是有一个伴侣在旁就会分散我的注意，冲淡此时此刻的哀婉之情。
• Diluting agent has certain transparency for ink multi-color overprint. 冲淡剂具有必定的透明量，适分油不朱的众色叠印。

33 fumigate   

v.烟熏；用香薰

参考例句：

• As preventive,spray plants with systemic insecticide or fumigate them regularly.作为预防措施，要用内吸杀虫剂对植物定期喷洒，或熏蒸。
• The hospital ward was fumigated after the outbreak of typhus.发现斑疹伤寒以后，医院的病房进行了烟熏消毒。

34 teaspoonful   

n.一茶匙的量；一茶匙容量

参考例句：

• Add a teaspoonful of mixed herbs. 加入一茶匙混合药草。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Add a teaspoonful of curry powder. 加一茶匙咖喱粉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 pint   

n.品脱

参考例句：

• I'll have a pint of beer and a packet of crisps, please.我要一品脱啤酒和一袋炸马铃薯片。
• In the old days you could get a pint of beer for a shilling.从前，花一先令就可以买到一品脱啤酒。

36 flea   

n.跳蚤

参考例句：

• I'll put a flea in his ear if he bothers me once more.如果他再来打扰的话，我就要对他不客气了。
• Hunter has an interest in prowling around a flea market.亨特对逛跳蚤市场很感兴趣。

37 resin   

n.树脂，松香，树脂制品；vt.涂树脂

参考例句：

• This allyl type resin is a highly transparent, colourless material.这种烯丙基型的树脂是一种高度透明的、无色材料。
• This is referred to as a thixotropic property of the resin.这种特性叫做树脂的触变性。

38 tar   

n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于

参考例句：

• The roof was covered with tar.屋顶涂抹了一层沥青。
• We use tar to make roads.我们用沥青铺路。

39 diluted   

无力的，冲淡的

参考例句：

• The paint can be diluted with water to make a lighter shade. 这颜料可用水稀释以使色度淡一些。
• This pesticide is diluted with water and applied directly to the fields. 这种杀虫剂用水稀释后直接施用在田里。

40 saturated   

a.饱和的，充满的

参考例句：

• The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。
• a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液

41 repel   

v.击退，抵制，拒绝，排斥

参考例句：

• A country must have the will to repel any invader.一个国家得有决心击退任何入侵者。
• Particles with similar electric charges repel each other.电荷同性的分子互相排斥。

42 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

43 trench   

n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕

参考例句：

• The soldiers recaptured their trench.兵士夺回了战壕。
• The troops received orders to trench the outpost.部队接到命令在前哨周围筑壕加强防卫。

44 slit   

n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂

参考例句：

• The coat has been slit in two places.这件外衣有两处裂开了。
• He began to slit open each envelope.他开始裁开每个信封。

45 infested   

adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于

参考例句：

• The kitchen was infested with ants. 厨房里到处是蚂蚁。
• The apartments were infested with rats and roaches. 公寓里面到处都是老鼠和蟑螂。

46 infestation   

n.侵扰，蔓延

参考例句：

• The premises were treated for cockroach infestation.因蟑螂成灾，这些房屋集中进行了灭蟑活动。
• Parts of California are suffering from an infestation of oriental fruit flies.加利福尼亚的部分地区正遭受东方果蝇的大肆侵袭。