194 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



remained ai^parcntly unhurt, or at most only sliglitly disturbed, aud at 

 the end of six, eight, twelve, and twenty-four hours, had increased rather 

 than diminished, so there was nothing to be gained by waiting for results. 

 The solution was tried in dry weather, in wet weather, at early morning, 

 and at raid-day, and in eveiy case left the foliage and the aphis alike 

 unhurt. 



But our correspondent vras not altogether in the wrong either, as we 

 soon discovered when we varied the experiments. C. C. H. advised the use 

 of half a pound to four gallons of water, that is, by apothecaries' weight, 

 one and a half ounces jier gallon. We found that a solution of four ounces 

 to the gallon told a tale among the aphis : thej- writhed as the bitter 

 draught was j)oured upon them, and in a few minutes began to fall in 

 clusters, and a second washing, after an interval of one day, thinned away 

 many of the full-grown insects which had resisted the first dose. We 

 selected a few common roses, and drenched them Avith the dregs of six 

 gallons of the solution. The fly disappeared, and the thick, resinous 

 liqiiid dried upon the foliage like a black varnish, which made the ti'ees 

 unsightly until the next rains came. In no case was the aloes washed off, 

 and in no case did the foliage suffer beyond discoloiu-ation. But the fly 

 appeared again in the course of a week as thick as ever, and once more 

 we voted aloes a very unsatisfactory and uncertain remedy. 



We then tried a mixture of aloes and soda with much better results. 

 Two pounds of soda were dissolved with one ounce of aloes, and when 

 cold, added to a gallon of water. Into this sve dipped soft- wooded green- 

 house plants that had been shut in on pTirpose to be well covered with 

 fly for the purpose. The young insects soon let go their hold xipon the 

 shoots, and as the plants were laid on their sides, on some clean tiles, 

 they were soon covered with their dead bodies ; but some of the plumper 

 aphides remained, apparently unhurt, for an hour or two, and tlien gave 

 waj', and added their corpses to the heap. Some primulas and cinerarias 

 on Avhich the solution was allowed to diy, became discoloured, shrivelled, 

 and tlie forward bloom-buds went blind ; but those that were well syringed 

 with tepid water next morning were unhurt, and had that healthj^ green- 

 ness and vigour Avhicli invariably accompanies the use of alkalies in solu- 

 tion when not overdone. Thrips and red spider also yielded to the attacks 

 of this solution, but it is one which must be used with care, and, unlike 

 the solution of aloes alone, must be washed off in the course of a few hours. 

 Another method of using aloes is to combine with it soft soap, in the pro- 

 portion of four ounces of each to every gallon of water. This mixture 

 proves to be an effectual '-'settler" for vermin on wall -trees, and hard- 

 wooded plants of robust habit, but it injures soft- wooded plants aud tender 

 newly- grown shoots of all plants, especially vines, but, with proper 

 caution, may be adopted as one of the well-tried and proven remedies, 

 especially against ravages of aphis. It Avill be found best in all cases to 

 use Earbadoes aloes, which can be had in quantities at from Is. 4r?. to 

 Is. Sd. per lb. Cape aloes may be obtained at 8d., as stated in these 

 pages in December last; they are very inferior to the othei', and no 

 cheaper in the end. 



While experiments of this kind were going on in many other quarters, 

 besides in our own garden, Mr. G. Wilson, of Price's Patent Candle Com- 

 pany, electrified the horticultural public by the announcement of the 

 virtues of a material called " Gishiu-st Compound." The cry of " Eureka ! " 



