Plant Enemies To Fight

The covered frame is the most useful of the first. Powder gun is required for the application of poison powders by the home gardener. A good hand-syringe can be used for very small-scale operations, but it is best to invest a few dollars more and get a sprayer. Apart from the spade, prong-hoe, and spading-fork, very few harvesting implements are used. Onion harvester attachment for the double wheel hoe can be useful for loosening onions. Wire-fingered fruit-picker is very useful for fruit picking with tall trees.

There are two types of devices and implements used to combat plant enemies:

(1) those employed to provide mechanical protection to plants;

(2) Those employed in the application of insecticides and fungicides.

The covered frame is the most useful of the first. It typically consists of a wooden box eighteen inches to two feet square and eight inches high, covered with glass, protective cloth, mosquito netting, or mosquito wire. The first two coverings, of course, have the added benefit of retaining heat and protecting from cold, allowing you to plant earlier than is otherwise safe. They are widely used to get cucumbers, melons, and other vine vegetables off to an extra early and safe start.

Simpler devices for protecting newly-set plants from the cut-worm include stiff tin, cardboard, or tar paper collars that are several inches high and large enough to wrap around the stem and penetrate an inch or so into the soil.

A powder gun is required for the application of poison powders by the home gardener. If you must limit yourself to a single tool, a hand-powered, compressed-air sprayer is the best option. These are used to apply wet sprays and should come with one of the various types of mist-making nozzles, with the non-cloggable automatic type being the best. 

A barrel pump on wheels is preferable for more extensive work, but any of the above will get the job done quickly. For either, extension rods for spraying trees and vines can be obtained. A good hand-syringe can be used for very small-scale operations, but it is best to invest a few dollars more and get a small tank sprayer, which throws a continuous stream of spray and holds a much larger amount of the spraying solution. Whatever type is chosen, a brass machine will outlast three or four cheaper metal machines, which succumb quickly to the corrosive action of the strong poisons and chemicals used in them.

Aside from the spade, prong-hoe, and spading-fork, very few harvesting implements are used in the small garden, as most of them require not only long rows but also horse power to be economically used. The onion harvester attachment for the double wheel hoe can be useful for loosening onions, beets, turnips, and other root vegetables from the soil or cutting spinach. Running the hand plow close on either side of carrots, parsnips, and other deep-growing vegetables will greatly aid in their extraction. The wire-fingered fruit-picker, secured to the end of a long handle, will be very useful for fruit picking with tall trees, but it will not be necessary with the modern method of using low-headed trees.

Another category of garden implements is those used for pruning, but if done properly from the start, a good sharp jack-knife and a pair of pruning shears will easily handle all of the necessary work.

Stakes, trellises, wires, and other plant-supporting devices are another type of garden device. Overall, too little attention is usually paid to these, despite the fact that with proper care in storage over winter, they will not only last for years, but will also add greatly to the convenience of cultivation and the neat appearance of the garden.

To the intending purchaser of garden tools, I would say: first thoroughly investigate the various types available, and remember that a good tool or a well-made machine will give you satisfactory use long after the price is forgotten, whereas a poor one is a constant source of discomfort. Get quality tools and take good care of them. And, once again, a few dollars a year spent wisely on tools that are then well cared for will soon provide you with a very complete set, adding to your garden profit and pleasure.