134 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



Company, and Gishurst Compound, which may be obtained of most 

 ot" the seed and nurserymen, but they require to be used with care 

 and judgment to be effectual, and at the same time, do no harm to 

 the plants. 



From the tenour of the foregoing remarks, the reader will not be 

 disappointed, when I say I do not intend to recommend any one of 

 these compositions for general use : their utility is not to be wholly 

 ignored, I admits but to use them with safety and with any degree 

 of success requires more skill and care than can at all times be com- 

 manded, especially in the garden of the amateur. They had there- 

 fore better be left to those who have the inclination to risk their 

 plants for the sake of experiment ; and as we are not dependent 

 upon them for a remedy for killing our insects, we shall do wisely if 

 we resort to those measures which for years past have proved to be 

 effective upon our enemies and harmless to our plants ; and I shall 

 now proceed to enumerate them. 



The Gbeexfly is unquestionably the most frequent insect that 

 we have to wage war against, and I will place it on the top of the 

 list. In considering the best means of eradicating it, our first con- 

 sideration should be the nature of the subjects attacked. These are 

 generally the most soft and succulent plants ; therefore, we must use 

 some amount of caution in applying the remedy, or we may do 

 serious mischief. Of the number of insecticides I have used for 

 destroying the green-fly, tobacco is the best. It is the simplest, 

 the safest, and the most sure means of killing them of anything 

 hitherto used. 



When it is necessary to fumigate the plant-house, choose a still 

 afternoon, that is to say, when there is not much wind. This may 

 generally be determined on in the middle of the day, when, if the 

 weather looks favourable, start a brisk fire for two or three hours, 

 and open the ventilators, that the plants, and all parts of the house, 

 may be perfectly dry ; as if the plants are damp the smoke will be 

 sure to aff'ect the leaves of such plants as are of a soft texture. If 

 there is a nice warm air circulating through the house the insects 

 will be more active, and become an easier prey to the effects of the 

 smoke than if cold and torpid. As we have a variety of plants to 

 deal with, it will be much the safest plan to smoke them gently, by 

 easy stages every alternate day, until they have had three smokings, 

 using just the same precautions as for the first time. It will be 

 necessary at each time of smoking to be careful that the tobacco 

 does not burn too fiercely, so as to generate a great degree of heat 

 with the smoke, as after being once lighted, and the house pretty 

 full of smoke, it cannot burn too slowly to be destructive to insects. 

 The plants that were smoked over night should be well syringed in 

 the morning, to dislodge dead msects, and to sweeten the air of the 

 house. It is much the best to repeat the smokings, as above advised, 

 at intervals of a day or two, because where there is any quantity of 

 fly, there is sure to be a number of eggs left unharmed the first time 

 of smoking, which another day will bring into active life. Hence 

 the importance of a second and third repetition of smoke to effect a 

 complete riddance of our insect plagues. The common shag tobacco, 



