te 
78 DESTROYING INSECTS. 
using it alone, caterpillars, butterflies, snails, &c. may be st ; 
when they will fall from the branches, and may be gathered up and 
destroyed. There are also several kinds of fumigating bellows. Ar 
excellent preventive remedy is to wash the stems and branches of de- 
ciduous rose-trees, in winter, with water heated to 200°, or with a 
mixture of strong tobacco-water and soft-soap ; cleaning the branches 
well at the same time with a soft brush. The American blight which 
infests apple-trees is another species of aphis, and may be destroyed 
in the same manner. 
- Besides the insects already enumerated, there are several kinds of 
beetles, which devour plants both in the larva and perfect state. Of 
these, the cockchafer remains in the larva state four years, and is one 
of the most destructive insects known; it is the celebrated ver blanc 
‘of the French. The rose beetle, or rose chaffer (Cetonia aurata), is 
ae emely beautiful, from its splendid wing cases of burnished green 
and gold; and these beetles, notwithstanding their shape, which 
ner weather, be seen upon the wing, making a loud buzzing noise. 
Vien taken up in the hand they draw up their feet, and appear to 
be dead; but, after having been handled and even tossed about for 
some time, they will, if a favourable opportunity appears to offer, 
suddenly spread out their wings and buzz away, leaving their captor 
too much astonished to be able to make any effort to retain them. 
Several of these insects may often be found in one rose; but they are 
supposed to be only engaged in sucking the honey from the flower, 
and not injuring it. They undergo their transformations in the 
ground, and the grubs are supposed to live entirely on little bits of 
rotten wood. Besides the insects already mentioned, the various 
kinds of weewls, the wire-worm, the thrips, the red spider, or rather 
mite (Acarus telarius), various kinds of tipula, or Gaffer long-legs, 
wood-lice, and earth-worms, are all found on plants, and are all more 
or less injurious to them. In the general destruction of insects, the 
Lady-bird should always be spared, as, both in its larva and its 
perfect state, it lives on the larve of the green fly, or aphis. 
Snails and Slugs are more destructive to vegetation than any kind 
of insect; and they are still more difficult to get rid of. There isa 
very small grey slug, that is peculiarly injurious to plants in pots; 
the large grey slug is also very destructive, and the common garden 
snail. The beautifully banded snail (Helix nemoralis) is, however, 
ks too heavy and clumsy for flying, may frequently, in ho 2 sum-. 
