170 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS OF VICTORIA: 



aphides will be left in the soil, which, when sufficiently 

 developed, will, of course, at once tackle the newly " set- 

 out " plants. A great deal is to be gained by a properly- 

 prepared soil for the reception of the plants. Where 

 possible, changes of crops should be frequently made, 

 and in this connexion the use of gas-lime is highly 

 recommended by those who have tried it for themselves. 

 The various fertilizers should be used whenever practic- 

 able, as the freer the growth in any plant the less liable 

 it will be to disease of most kinds. 



In the good old days of market gardening at Brighton 

 and neighbourhood, the growers used to make holes 

 around the stems of the cabbages, into which they 

 poured the liquid from the manure heaps, mixed with 

 soapsuds. This excellent though old-fashioned practice 

 no doubt helped to destroy the aphides on the roots of the 

 cabbages and cauliflowers, which, owing to these attacks, 

 were even in the early days often in a very bad state. 



The keeping of flocks of young ducks, chickens, and 

 especially turkeys, is an old but a well-tried and most 

 eftectual plan, as the number of insects of all kinds which 

 these young poultry will devour is enormous. The 

 Silver-gull is another useful bird, which no one who 

 has any pretensions to be a consistent and practical 

 grower should be without. These beautiful birds are 

 always at work, and are especially fond of insects, 

 snails, &c., and other garden pests. They may be 

 purchased alive in the Melbourne market at about 

 2s. 6d. per pair. 



Amongst the best insect enemies of aphides are un- 

 doubtedly the often despised and badly-abused Lady- 

 birds, an illustration of which, together with its larva, is 

 given in another part of the present number of the book. 

 The Ladybird deposits its eggs, which are of cylindrical 

 form, and of a stone or dun colour, under the leaves of 

 the tree. The larvse or grubs are of a leaden colour, 

 with orange marks at intervals. They are soon hatched, 

 and at once spread themselves over the neighbouring 



