TOMATO AS AN INSECTICIDE.

New Zealand Mail, 30 December 1892, Page 8

TOMATO AS AN INSECTICIDE.

The following interesting item from the pen of Mr Story appeared in the Scientific American. In an address before the Society of Horticulture Mr Story said:—' I planted a peach orchard, and the trees grew well and strongly. They had juat commenced to bud when they were invaded by the curculio (pulgon), which insects were followed, as frequently happens, by ants. Having cut some tomatoes the idea occurred to me that, by placing some of the leaves around the trunks and .branches of the peach tree I might preserve them from the rays of the sun, which where very powerful. My surprise was great upan the following day to find the trees entirely free from their enemies, not one remaining except were a curled leaf prevented the tomato from exercising its influence. These leaves I carefully unrolled, placing upon them fresh ones from the tomato vine, with the result of banishing the last insect, and enabling the trees to grow with luxuriance. Wishing to carry still further my experiment, I steeped in water some fresh leaves of the tomato, and sprinkled with this infusion other plants, roses, and oranges. In two days these were also free from the innumerable insects which cover them ; and I felt sure that had I used the same means with my melon patch I should have met with the same result. I therefore deem it a duty I owe to the Society of Horticulture to make known this singular and useful property the tomato leaves, which 1 discovered

by the merest accident.' 'ln corroboration of this,' says F. W. Reynolds in the Florida Dispatch, Farmer, and Fruitgrower, 'I will pay that lash winter I raised turnips in forty-two days, radishes in seventeen to. twentyfive days, lettuce, onions, mango peppers, tomatoes in 108 days, and fine cabages, many a head weighing 4!b This without irrigation, and on sandy land 39ft. above water level. I used Humo-chemical garden fertiliser and tobacco. I found that whenever I planted a tomato plant in a missing place in the cabbage patch, the insects could not be found on the cabbage plants around the said tomato plants. The ground was plauted to cabbage two years in succession, and sweet potatoes the year before that. I can fully Bay that I believe the lack of insects was due to the tomato plants for I had plants affected by the aphis badly. I killed these with tobacce decoction of liquor.'