4G2 THE GARDENER. [Oct. 



crop, which is the only risk by seed, it is worth while to red-lead the 

 seeds and to sow thick. The first will efi'ectually stop all depreda- 

 tions from vermin, and thick sowing will insure a crop. It is soon 

 enough to sow by the end of ]\rarch or beginning of April. On one 

 occasion, and the only one on which he had to sow twice, the seed was 

 put in about the 10th of June ; and with a little coaxing we had plants 

 fit for forcing by the end of the season. "Some of the best seed we 

 ever used was gathered from wild plants on the coast of Wales. The 

 seeds were small, but the plants turned out as usual. J. S. 



AN INSECTICIDAL PAPER. 



Gardexeiis have often things of a very vexatious stamp to deal with, not the 

 least of which is to be found in the various insects which infest our jtlants and 

 trees. Wherever there are plants grown, even in the best-kept gardens, there 

 insects will sometimes be found ; and though every one W'ishful of being com- 

 pletely successfid in the cultivation of either fruits, flowers, or vegetables, trj's 

 to keep them free from these pests, yet in by far too many instances it is ex- 

 tremely difficult to keep them under at all seasons, especially during the spring 

 and summer months, when, if the working staff fits the requirements of the jilace 

 very tightly, as it too often does, the insects have it pretty much to themselves 

 just then. It is very trying, even to the magnanimous temper which gardeners 

 ought to be possessed of, to have the objects of one's care to a greater or less 

 extent marred in beauty and hiurt in health by the attacks of insects. Partly, 

 we suppose, on that account, and partly for the sake of filthy lucre, which 

 notwithstanding is a very handy article, there are various "insecticides" 

 manufactured and sold, having, according to the vendor's w^ay of thinking, pro- 

 perties of the most destructive character to all kinds of insect-life peculiar to 

 the inmates of our gardens. From experience, we know some of these insec- 

 ticides fulfil the promises made for them by their inventors ; but to use them 

 even on what could not be named a large scale, comes to be very expensive : and 

 so gardeners continue in the old ways of patiently brushing and sponging off 

 the mealy bugs and "scale " in variety, infestors of the inmates of their green- 

 houses and stores, destroying others with the essential poisons found in 

 tobacco, the effects of which, on the portion of the human family which uses it, 

 is said to be seen in a degeneracy of muscle, and other evils to which flesh is 

 not heir to. The fumes of sulphur are called into request for the extermination 

 of other vermin ; whilst in some instances they are individually stamped out 

 by the unaided use of the hand. Boiling water is, so far as we know, certain 

 death to all kinds of animal life : even the Trichincc, which our Continental 

 Teuton brethren swallowed with their pork, had to succumb to the power of 

 this agent. Acting on this fact, some have used water sufficiently hot to 

 destroy insect life, though harmless to the plants infested, with the greatest 

 success. We have had occasion to use it in a somewhat extensive man- 

 ner lately for the destruction of scale and bug on stove and green- 

 house plants, and so satisfactory have the results proved to us, that we 

 cannot forbear mentioning it as an inducement to brother gardeners to try it 

 for themselves. From experience, we knew soft soap and hot water to do its 

 work as a plant-cleanser well and quickly ; so we had no fear of the results. A 



