Chapter 20 (extract 2) of "Roses for English Gardens" by Jekyll and Mawley (1902), in which Mr Mawley lists and discusses, in order of seasonal appearance, the insect pests of the Rose, with advice on their destruction.
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Illustration: Rose Catherine Mermet (Tea).
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Insect Pests.—Against the foregoing [frost and drought] and other adverse weather influences the Rose grower is to a great extent powerless, whereas insect pests, if attacked with promptness and perseverance, can, as a rule, be readily subdued. The great thing is to watch for their appearance and at once proceed to destroy the first comers, and when this is done to continue to harass the enemy until the attack has entirely ceased.
It is, as a rule, only when any insect pest has been allowed to obtain a firm footing that there need be any difficulty in getting rid of it. Good culture is a great help, as well-nourished and healthy plants do not suffer so much from insect and other attacks as those that are ill-fed and weakly. The only remedy against all the larger insects that attack the Rose, like caterpillars, grubs, beetles, sawflies, &c., is handpicking; whereas the smaller ones, like greenfly, thrips, red spider, &c., may be best kept in check by syringeing. Where Roses are largely grown, a knapsack spraying-pump will be found very useful in distributing and spraying insecticides and fungicides.
Grubs and Caterpillars.—The Rose maggot and several other equally destructive leaf-rolling grubs and caterpillars are generally the first pests to attack the Rose in the spring. They will be found curled up in the young foliage, and must be sought for every few days and crushed between the thumb and finger, or much damage will be done. This is not a pleasant occupation, but unfortunately there is no other remedy except it be to pinch off the affected leaves and afterwards burn them or throw them into a strong solution of salt and water.
The next enemy to appear will be the frog-hopper or cuckoo-spit, a little pale green or pale yellow frog-like insect which will be found hidden in the centre of a small patch of froth deposited either in the axils of the leaves or on the leaves themselves. This, again, must be hunted out and destroyed by means of the thumb and finger, or removed with a small brush and deposited in the salt and water solution before mentioned.
The Boring Grub.—Holes will be often noticed in the tops of the stems of standard Roses; these are made by this pith-boring grub. As a preventive the ends of standard Roses should be painted with "knotting" at planting time, and the same precaution should be adopted with the standard stocks.
If the holes have been already made, a piece of copper wire thrust sharply down them will destroy the grubs; a little putty is used to close the holes afterwards. The same grubs also occasionally pierce the shoots of Roses, and seem especially fond of those made by standard Brier stocks. In this case, as soon as observed, the hollow ends of the shoots should be squeezed until firm wood is met with, and then cut off. In this way the boring grub will be crushed and the affected part of the shoot removed.
The Rose Aphis or Greenfly.—In some seasons these tiny creatures are very numerous and troublesome, and if not frequently destroyed increase very rapidly.
Most exhibitors keep greenfly under entirely by the skilful use of the thumb and finger. This only shows how easily such pests may be kept in check, if attacked directly they make their appearance and never afterwards allowed to congregate in any great numbers. Occasional sharp syringeing with a garden engine with clean water will be found in most cases sufficient. Should this, however, prove ineffectual, the following well-known remedy may be used instead.
Take two ounces of quassia chips and boil them in a gallon of water, adding a tablespoonful of soft soap before the mixture becomes cold. Or one of the many insecticides in the market may be tried, keeping strictly to the directions supplied with the bottle.
Thrips.—These tiny creatures often injure Rose blooms in hot and dry weather, especially those of the Teas, by giving the petals a brown and bruised appearance. Spraying or syringeing with clean water is the best remedy to employ, even at the risk of spoiling some of the existing blooms.
Red Spider.—This is another dry-weather enemy, and so small as not to be detected with the unaided eye. It generally attacks the lower sides of the leaves, and if not kept in check causes them to fall from the plant prematurely. The same remedy as for thrips is advisable. Crimson Rambler, when grown in hot or confined positions, is rather subject to this pest. In dealing with large plants like this, it will be found a good plan to use a small watering-pot with a fine rose, and each evening in dry weather to wet both sides of the leaves by swinging it sharply up and down and across the climber.
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More: Enemies of the Rose - frost and drought; fungus pests
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