Important: Safety Warning
This page recommends pest-control substances such as arsenic compounds, strychnine, or cyanide — in some cases applied to food crops. These substances are lethal to humans and animals, and their use is now banned or strictly controlled.
In addition, this page directs the use of hazardous substances — such as benzine, gasoline, lye, or strong acids — for household tasks. These materials are highly flammable, corrosive, or poisonous, and the practices described have caused fires, burns, and poisonings.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
Home › The Flower And Kitchen Garden › To Kill Docks, Dandelions, etc
To Kill Docks, Dandelions, etc
Cut the tops off in the spring or summer
1860. To Destroy Moss on Fruit time, and pour some gas-tar, or sprinkle Trees. Every second year fruit trees should some salt on the wound. Either of these be well scrubbed with a scrubbing brush will kill the root, by eating to the very exdipped in strong brine, so as to moisten every tremity. part of the bark of the stem and branches. 1868. To Destroy Burdocks. Cut This not only destroys the moss, but insects of all kinds, and is beneficial to all trees, whereas applications of lime choke up the respiratory pores, and sometimes produce canker.
1861. To Remove Moss on Gravel Walks. This may be kept down by the use of a broom made of wire; if the wire is made of iron the broom should be well dried and dipped in oil before and after being used. 1862. To Protect Lettuce and Strawberry Beds from Snails. If the beds are surrounded by a slate or board edging, made to stand 5 inches above the ground, and occasionally coated with a paste made of train oil and soot, it will form a barrier over which snails will not pass. 1863. To Prove Cucumber and Melon Seed. When the fruit is first cut, the seed should be put into a bowl of water, and that close to the ground with a sharp hoe, and apply a few drops of kerosene. The plant so treated will never appear again.
1869. Τo Prevent the Growth of Weeds in Garden Walks. A weak solution of carbolic acid applied with a wateringpot to garden walks will be an effectual mode of preventing the growth of weeds. The solution should not be stronger than 1 part pure carbolic acid to 1000 to 2000 parts water.
Pure carbolic acid is a virulent poison. When applied in too strong a solution, larger plants may suffer; very weak solutions destroy only very small plants and animals, as parasites, miasma. Even flies and mosquitoes avoid its odor and may be driven away by it. 1870. To Destroy Thistles, Grass, and Weeds, in Gravel Walks. Sow coarse salt upon the plants; the thistles should be first cut to the ground, and the which swims on the surface is worthless; the fresh roots be covered with the salt. The good will sink to the bottom. This can only refuse article from the beef, pork, or salt be depended upon at the time the fruit is first fish barrel is quite good enough, and may be cut; if the seed has been dried and kept for employed for this purpose. 1