=Sawflies=, the little black and shiny flies which infest the roses in May and June, are a terrible pest, as the eggs they lay on the leaves turn quickly into small, green larvae. There are several kinds of sawflies, and their destructive methods vary. The Leaf-rolling Sawfly, whose larvae roll the rose-leaves like paper spills, has become a serious pest among garden roses of late years, and if these rolls are carefully unfolded the little green maggot will be found in one of them. It must be caught with care, as it is very lively, and if allowed to fall to the ground will remain there, and produce a fresh brood in the next year.

The =Rose Slugworm= is much more common, and most destructive, eating the upper surface of the leaves and leaving the lower to shrivel up. It has two broods in the year.

The =Rose Emphytus= is another of the sawflies, and one of the worst.

Its larva eats the whole leaf away, beginning at the mid rib, and also works its way into a cell in the branches till the next spring, thus killing the tender growths above. This is the green caterpillar which we find coiled up on the under-side of the rose-leaves, or in early morning and late evening curled round the base of a rose-bud, working its way through the calyx into the heart of the flower. It is far easier to catch, as it is somewhat sluggish in movement, clean and hard in substance--and therefore less disgusting to touch than others that squash in one's fingers. The best remedies for these pests are: first, prevention, by spraying with h.e.l.lebore wash, which I have found most useful. Second, by careful hand-picking when the larvae appear. And third, by removing the surface soil in which the coc.o.o.ns are buried, and all dead wood, during the winter.

h.e.l.lebore wash is made in the following proportion--

1 oz. fresh-ground h.e.l.lebore powder.

2 oz. flour.

3 gallons of water.

Mix the h.e.l.lebore and flour with a little water till dissolved; then stir into the rest of the water and apply with a fine Abol Syringe.

=Caterpillars= of many moths are among the most deadly foes of the rose.

Some eat the foliage--such as the Buff Tip and Vapourer Moths; others tunnel into the leaves. But the worst of all are the Tortrix Moths or Rose Maggots, whose repulsive grubs eat the unopened blossoms and spin the delicate young leaves together, destroying the whole top of the new shoots. There are many varieties of Tortrix, which are all quite small moths, and their caterpillars or "Maggots" are the most unpleasant and destructive of all we have to deal with. The worst of all are the Red and the Brown Rose Maggots. These creatures are dirty red or brown, with black heads; they are soft, and grow very fat, and when full grown are half an inch long. They spin the leaves together at the top of the tender young flowering shoots, often bending the top down; and not only eat the leaves in the midst of this filthy fortress, but eat their way into the buds and destroy them.

Other Tortrix Moths have green and yellow-green maggots. The worst is the Green Rose Maggot--bluish-green with a black head. It also spins the leaves together, and grows nearly as large as the brown. It is extremely active, and very soft and slimy.

These all turn to pupae among the leaves instead of in the soil; and any left in the foliage must be picked out and burnt. If we wait until the shoots and buds are eaten and the foliage spoilt--nay, till often the whole of our early flowers are ruined--the only remedy is to pinch the leaves which conceal the maggot, if we have courage to do so, or to hand-pick every one we see. But happily a way exists of preventing these loathsome pests from destroying our roses. And this is to spray the plants from the middle of April to early in May with _a.r.s.enate of lead_.[9] This should be done twice, and will prevent many other caterpillars from feeding on the foliage.

=The Vapourer Moth=, the little golden brown moth with a tiny white crescent on each wing, is unfortunately common everywhere, in town as well as country; and its caterpillars are as destructive as they are beautiful. These caterpillars are found in great ma.s.ses upon the hawthorn and fruit trees, and attack the rose as well. They are handsome, hairy creatures, spotted thickly with bright pink-red tubercles, with four erect tufts of yellow hairs on the back, and five longer tufts of darker hairs, two pointing forwards, one backwards over the tail, and two at the sides.

If there are too many to be hand-picked the bushes must be sprayed with _a.r.s.enate of lead_.

=The Buff Tip Moth= does most harm in the autumn, when its caterpillars, yellow and green, with longitudinal black lines divided by yellow bands, appear in colonies, feeding upon the surface of the leaves. They should be picked off at once, before they grow large, as they reach a length of two inches when full grown, and disperse, feeding singly. If very plentiful, spraying with _a.r.s.enate of lead_ will destroy them.

=The Winter Moth=, which is such a serious pest among fruit trees, also attacks roses. The caterpillar is hatched very early, in the end of March and beginning of April. It is a "Looper," greyish at first and turning green later, and nearly an inch long when full grown.

The grease bands we use on fruit trees to catch the wingless female as she creeps up in the autumn to lay her eggs on the bark, would be difficult to use for rose-bushes. The only plan therefore is to spray very early in the season with _a.r.s.enate of lead_ wash.[10]

Another "Looper" found early on the roses is that of the =Mottled Umber Moth=. It is brown with yellowish sides, looks almost like a twig, and is over an inch long. It must be hand-picked.

The =Dagger Moth's= caterpillar--a long, grey-black creature with a yellow line along the back, a large black hump on the shoulder and a small one at the tail, is most destructive when it appears in late summer and early autumn. It is generally found singly; but one specimen will strip a whole shoot of leaves, leaving only the mid rib.

Hand-picking is the only remedy.

These are the chief of the pests which we have to fight against. And if we desire to keep our roses in health and beauty we must remember that prevention is better than cure, and begin our treatment in good time, before the many enemies of the rose get too firm a hold.

REMEDIES FOR ROSE PESTS

WASHES, ETC.

For Aphis or Green Fly.

1. _Abol._ _White's Superior_-instructions with each can.

2. _Soft soap and Qua.s.sia Wash._

Best soft soap 1 lb.

Qua.s.sia chips 2 lb.

Water 25 gallons.

Dissolve the soap in boiling (soft) water. Boil the chips or simmer for twelve hours, adding water from time to time to cover them. Strain off the liquid, mix it with the dissolved soap, stirring them together thoroughly, then add the water.

3. _Tobacco Wash_--also useful for Cuckoo Spit, Thrips and Leaf-Hoppers.

1 part tobacco juice.

15 parts water.

Add a little dissolved soft soap.

4. _h.e.l.lebore Wash_ for Sawflies.

Fresh-ground h.e.l.lebore 1 oz.

Flour 2 oz.

Water 3 gallons.

Mix the flour and h.e.l.lebore powder with a little water. Then add the rest of the water. It must be kept stirred, and used with a fine spray.

_h.e.l.lebore is poison._

5. _a.r.s.enate of Lead_ for Caterpillars.

This is a poisonous wash, but the only one that can be used without hurting the roses. It is made with the paste known as _Swift's a.r.s.enate Paste_, mixed with water.

6. _Flowers of Sulphur_ blown over the plants for Mildew.

_Liver of Sulphur Wash_ for Mildew and other fungi, and for Red Spider.

Liver of sulphur 1 oz.

Water 10 gallons.

Powdered h.e.l.lebore may be dusted over the bushes for Sawflies, but the h.e.l.lebore wash is best.

All these washes can be used with the Abol Syringe. And in large gardens Vermorel's Knapsack Sprayer is almost indispensable, as it does equally well for roses and fruit trees.

FOOTNOTES:

[9] p. 149.

[10] p. 149.

CHAPTER XI