58 APPLE LEAVES, PLANT-LOUSE, — REMEDIES, TOBACCO. 



ready seen how repulsive to these insects the trees of Mr. Briggs, 

 immediately became upon being washed with a solution of soda. 



Tobacco water, prepared by pouring a gallon of boiling water 

 upon a quarter of a pound of tobacco, and used in the same man- 

 ner as above directed in the case of soap suds, has been reported 

 as a certain remedy. Moses L. Colton. of West Bolton, Vermont, 

 says (Country Gentleman, vol. vi. p. 78), a nursery of about 

 twelve hundred Apple trees became so infested with lice that 

 most of the trees turned black and the leaves withered and died, 

 until he tried tobacco water, prepared however, much stronger 

 than above recommended. This completely destroyed the insects, 

 and the leaves they had killed having fallen off, neAV ones started 

 out. For six years past he has been obliged to resort to this more 

 or less every year, in his nursery and orchard, and he finds it an 

 effectual remedy when made strong enough. He prepares a de- 

 coction, made by boiling four or five pounds of tobacco in water 

 sufficient to nearly fill a tin pan. 



The remedy which is admitted on all hands to be the most 

 effectual, and sure of ridding infested vegetation of every aphis 

 upon it, is the smoke of tobacco. But unfortunately this 

 can only be resorted to in the case of rose bushes and other low 

 shrubs or small trees. For enclosing a shrub to be operated upon, 

 gardeners abroad use a large box, a hogshead, or a kind of small 

 tent humorously described some time since by Prof. Lindley 

 (Gardener's Chronicle, July 11, 1846,) under the name of a 

 " parapetticoat," made by sewing the upper end of a wornout but 

 entire petticoat to the outer edge of an opened parasol that has 

 been thrown aside, any holes in its cover being first mended, and 

 a staff six feet long securely tied to its handle. The petticoat 

 being then raised up in folds to the parasol, the staff is inserted 

 into the ground under the centre of the infested shrub, and the 

 petticoat is drawn down to surround aDd inclose all of the foliage 

 of the shrub. The interior is then filled densely with tobacco 

 smoke for the space of five or ten minutes, or long enough to in- 

 sure the fumes penetrating every curl, plait and crevice of the 

 foliage. The apparatus is hereupon removed, and the ioliage 

 immediately washed with lukewarm water from a large syringe 



