264 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



more insect food (within reason) the more eggs, the more chickens, 

 and the better the health of the stock. 



To grow lettuces is the neatest and most certain of all preventive 

 methods. "While they are to be had, snails, slugs, woodlice, and 

 earwigs will quit all else, and your choicest subjects will be safe. 

 But when we take to searching amongst them for vermin, we are 

 adopting remedial measures, which is an opening of the subject, and 

 from this point I foresee that I may discourse at much length without 

 wearing it threadbare. 



The first remark I feel it my duty to make is one in reprobation 

 of idleness. People cry out about losing this and that through the 

 depredations of vermin ; and they almost expect of a horticultural 

 editor that he will not only tell them how to destroy the vermin 

 instanter, but how to restore the dead plants to life, which, in spite 

 of his near approach to infallibility, is a trifle too much for him. 

 Tour plants are attacked by vermin, are they, my dear friend ? 

 Well now, why don't you catch the vermin, and then screw up your 

 courage to the sticking point and kill them. You pretend you don't 

 know how, but the fact is }ou are too idle. At what hour did you 

 rise on those mornings last week when the ground was wet with 

 rain, and all the snails in the parish were taking their walks abroad 

 on tiptoe, and were laughing audibly because they knew you were 

 tucked in and fast asleep in a hot room, while they were enjoying 

 the delightful coolness, and were gorged to the full with the tender 

 leaves of your lilies and pansies. I can tell you I was up at four 

 o'clock on those cool mornings, and I caught such a potful of fat 

 snails before six, that my man Docket, who is one of the boldest 

 fellows in creation, was actually frightened, and wanted a holiday to 

 recover himself. Give me time, and I'll trap every living varmint 

 in a garden, no matter what may be its size or age. If I am beaten, 

 it will just be because time fails me, but there is some diflerence 

 between being beaten that way, and doing nothing at all. In the 

 first case, a man may cry out for a patent snail-catching and killing 

 machine to work by steam ; in the other case, he has no right to 

 cry at all, not even for a pound of salt or a lettuce to his bread 

 and cheese. Do let us have a little work before we have muck 

 grumbling. 



But do you want to catch the vagabonds ? Gro to work in 

 this way. Lay little heaps of lettuce-leaves in cool, quiet places, 

 and examine them at dusk and daybreak. Catch and kill in any 

 way you please ; a pot of brine is a very good bath for the purpose. 

 Lay about also in the neighbourhood of choice subjects of which 

 snails are fond, nice young cabbage leaves slightly smeared with 

 rank butter; catch and kill as before. Lay about in cool, quiet 

 spots small heaps of fresh brewers' grains ; catch and kill as before. 

 Where woodlice abound, take some dirty flower-pots (always com- 

 bine a little dirt of some sort with vermin traps, for vermin are 

 extravagantly fond of dirt), and fill these dirty flower-pots with 

 dry moss and crocks mixed together. Place them where the vermin 

 abound, and cover each with a tuft of dry moss. Every other day 

 proceed to catch and kill in this simple manner. Have a large 



