THE FLORIST. 35 



WINDOW-GARDENING. 



In my former letter on flowers in windows, I omitted one or two 

 thing;; which may be useful knowledge to some of your readers. In 

 such a situation they are peculiarly liable, especially in dry and hot 

 seasons, to be infested with green -fry (Aphis). And there are few 

 things about which I am more frequently asked than the best method 

 of keeping clear of them. Probably no care will prevent these insects 

 appearing at times, though whatever tends to keep the plants healthy 

 and strong, tends at the same time to prevent the ravages of fly ; 

 for they are most troublesome, in general, upon a weak plant, or 

 upon one drawn up by close packing, want of light, or superabundant 

 water, and of which the leaves are long-stemmed, and of a pale sickly 

 green, — a condition of things very common with us window-gardeners, 

 and very necessary to be quickly attended to, as the fly is sure to 

 attack such, and increase the evil. Cuttings that are long in rooting 

 themselves are sometimes prevented by them from striking at all ; the 

 whole of the sap manufactured by the feeble powers of the nascent 

 plant being extracted. Now, there are many persons who possess 

 the means of employing the usual remedy — tobacco-smoke, but are 

 not aware of its efficacy, or how to apply it. Such as have a cucum- 

 ber-frame, or any other box large and deep enough to place over 

 their whole collection, should, when fly appears, except it be in frost, 

 set them out of doors under such a covering ; and on a brick therein 

 lay a red-hot cinder or two, and on them a quarter of an ounce of to- 

 bacco, not too close to the plants for the hot smoke to burn them, 

 and cover all up close for a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. 

 On removing the covering, every fly will be found to have perished. 



There is, however, another very effectual way, and which, in a 

 collection not exceeding a score of plants, will not occupy more time 

 or labour than the foregoing. Take up each plant separately, and 

 either with the breath, or, if you are afraid of your lungs, with a bel- 

 lows, blow them off. It will require a brisk puff, for they cling most 

 tenaciously ; only let no one who suffers them to remain expect a 

 crop of flowers. 



But now respecting the remedy for these drawn-up and pallid 

 weakly plants. My friend Mrs. Wilkins, when she sees any symp- 

 toms of this, puts hers out of doors for a time ; and her neighbours, 

 seeing how well this answers its purpose, follow her example, and 

 theirs all die, and they wonder how it is they are so unlucky. The 

 fact is, they think the mere doing it will ensure success. While one 

 forgets them, and leaves them out for the night, and a slight morn- 

 ing frost ends the matter ; another places them out when there is 

 wind, even an east wind ; a third exposes them to the sun : all these 

 errors must be avoided, and, when they are, the plan will generally 

 succeed. I have now (Dec. 13) a large plant in training for a Christ- 

 mas bloom, which a fortnight ago shewed nothing green about the 

 leaves except the ribs ; but now, by exposure to the free open air out 

 of doors, presents the appearance it usually would in April. 



