VEEL 
CLEANING 
LEANING plants when infested with insects or cov- 
" ered with dust liable to interfere with the normal 
action of the leaf, or if slightly attacked by disease, 
is a most important work. It does not entail any 
considerable loss of time or shifting of plants, for 
it can be neatly and easily done even in a window. 
If the plants are infested with scales or mealy bugs the work 
is somewhat tedious, owing to the necessity of removing every 
visible enemy by means of a pointed stick if the sponge can- 
not reach it. For general use, fir-tree oil is a very cleanly 
and efficient insecticide. It should be mixed according to the 
directions on each bottle. It has the advantage over others in 
not injuring the hands; it will leave even a white hand much 
whiter. 
Even when cleaning is not absolutely needed for any apparent 
reason, it is useful as a preventive against both insects and dis- 
eases. Sponges used for washing plants must be soft and free 
from any granular matter or sand, which is apt to scratch the 
surface of the leaves. When the foliage is too small to be 
washed leaf by leaf, an immersion in a weak solution of fir-tree 
oil will be useful. 
If large foliage-plants such as Palms, Rubber-trees, and Dra- 
cenas are merely dusty, a good rubbing of the foliage with a 
