24 THE FLORIST. 



Even one small lamp in a small room makes a considerable difference 

 in the temperature. 



5. If any need larger pots before they flower, I am careful not to 

 break the ball of earth, nor do I ever disturb the roots except at the 

 September repotting, when I give them plenty of drainage and a 

 compost of black heath-sand, rotted turf, and completely decayed 

 stable-manure, in equal parts. 



In all this there is very little expenditure of time, trouble, or 

 money ; and the elegance and harmlessness of the pleasure obtained 

 is an ample recompense for what is incurred. Besides, I have the 

 satisfaction of replacing the rubbish often nurtured in the cottage- 

 windows of my neighbourhood with similar objects of a kind more 

 worthy of the attention bestowed upon them. And I confess I am 

 one who take as much delight in seeing a fine flower in a neighbour's 

 window as in my own. — I am, dear sir, yours, &c. 



Iota. 



PANSY INSECTS. 



Some years since I was a very extensive Pansy grower, and for a 

 few seasons they succeeded admirably with me ; in fact, no one in 

 this neighbourhood could compete with me, and whenever I ex- 

 hibited, which I used to do several times in a season, I always took 

 the two first prizes with my own seedlings. I commenced by pur- 

 chasing about forty of the best varieties of Mr. Barratt of Wake- 

 field, and for a few years I scarcely grew any thing else. At the 

 end of that time my plants went off" very rapidly ; one day they 

 appeared most luxuriant, the next day they drooped as though they 

 wanted water, and the following day they were dead. I soon dis- 

 covered the cause : it was a light- coloured insect, about the sixth of 

 an inch in length, and no thicker than fine thread, that destroyed the 

 bark of the plant under ground. I tried every remedy to destroy it I 

 could think of, but without success. I prepared a bed, in which I 

 used a quantity of salt, and another to which I applied lime; I also re- 

 moved the old soil from some and brought in fresh. But the enemy was 

 still there ; and so completely and rapidly were my plants eradicated, 

 that several of my friends imagined that I had destroyed them from 

 whim and love of change ; and many of them even say at this present 

 time, •« What is the favourite flower now, and how long will it be 

 so ?" I have found the same insect attack Stocks, &c. ; and I was 

 going to say Cabbages, but I recollected that I was writing for The 

 Florist. 



Can Dr. Maclean, or any other kind correspondent, name the 

 insect for me from this description, and tell me the best mode of 

 effectually destroying it ? I have lately bought a few Pansies, which 

 I intend keeping in pots during the winter, and planting out in the 

 spring, and I shall be sorry for them to share the fate of the others. 



There is no difficulty in finding the insect, for if you pull 



