7P6 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



uiosphere. When these have been used, no other means of green fly 

 extermination is thought of, so thoroughly practical have they proven 

 to be. 



A spirit lamp is also used, attached to the bottom of a small vessel 

 containing a highly concentrated insecticide, and when the lamp 

 is burning the liquid is vaporizing, and in this and other methods 

 of vaporizing, doing away with the clumsy methods of burning the 

 tobacco stems. The vaporizing of the different liquids is a step in 

 the right direction, being equally as effective and far less trouble- 

 some aud more agreeable for the operator than the old way. 



In regard to the pans attached to the one and a quarter inch 

 steam pipes, it has been demonstrated that when in use in the palm 

 houses, and the pans have been filled with a tobacco extract regularly 

 every night, neither mealy bugs nor scale insects will find a resting 

 place or will be in any way troublesome. This applies principally 

 when the young Palms are raised from seed at an establishment, 

 which is equipped with the evaporating pans and none of the insects 

 mentioned are brought there from a distance with other plants. 



Koses and Carnations under glass are rarely or never bothered 

 with either scale insects or mealy bugs, but Palms and Ferns are, and 

 when once these pests obtain a foothold they are hard indeed to get 

 rid of. Tobacco water sprayed on the Palms and Ferns twice each 

 week systematically and intelligently applied, will rid the plants 

 of said insects entirely. Many florists and gardeners, when thej 

 find their efforts are not rewarded sufficiently after the first few appli- 

 cations by a complete extermination, become impatient and disheart- 

 ened and abandon the good work; when so easily discouraged all the 

 work done up to that time will have gone for naught and the time and 

 material will be as good as wasted. 



iSometimes when an attack of either of the two insects mentioned 

 develops, or in fact any insect, it is often best to secure a soft piece of 

 sponge and with soapy, warm or hot water — but it must not be hotter 

 than 125 degrees or there is a liability of the leaves becoming 

 damaged — the insects are "sponged" carefully off the leaves. Hot 

 water up to the point above mentioned has been found to kill many 

 insects, and that may be considered the cheapest insecticide ob- 

 tainable. 



Red spider {Tetrarvjchus tel arias) among insects, is the most per- 

 sistent foe, and the hardest to conquer, when once well established, 



the greenhouse man has to fight, so that he must exercise the great- 

 est care w^hen introducing new varieties into his collection, to see 



that they are entirely free from all insect life before being brought 



into contact with his own collection. If that method is generally 



followed it will go a long way towards banishing injurious insects 



from our greenhouses. 



