184: HE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE, 
liquor ; dip the plants, and before they become dry, wash them in a 
tub of clean soft water, and not one thrip will be left alive. The 
same process should be gone through again in about a fortnight’s 
time, so that the young (which appear to come from eggs attached 
to the back of the leaves) may be killed as soon as hatched. A 
strong fumigating with tobacco is a good check, but nothing answers 
so well as dipping the plants in the above mixture. It is not 
necessary to adhere strictly to the quantities of soft-soap, etc., stated, 
as a much stronger mixture does not hurt the plants. Immersing 
the plants entirely, so that every part is wetted, is best; but if they 
are too large to dip, the syringe, with a fine rose, can be used. 
It is very important, however, to watch for its appearance, and 
as soon as the presence of the insects is detected, to sponge the 
leaves with an infusion of tobacco, or a liquid prepared as here 
advised, but of course in smaller quantities. The insects are small, 
rather long and thin, and blackish in colour, and until the colonies 
become large they are not readily seen. 
NEW FERNS. 
samy | THIN the last two or three years several most valuable 
additions have been made to the list of exotic ferns, and 
a few words in reference to them may probably at the 
present moment prove interesting to a large number of 
readers. JBritish ferns have not received much atten- 
tion of late, and although a considerable number of new varieties 
have been exhibited, and a proportion had certificates of the first 
class conferred upon them, they have not made their way to trade 
collections. From this it may be inferred that they are a shade less 
popular than was the case some eight or ten years ago, or that the 
cultivation of established favourites is found sufficient to occupy the 
attention of those who take special interest in hardy ferns. But the 
demand for the exotic kinds does not avpear to have diminished, 
for the new species are eagerly sought after, and those found to pos- 
sess a fair degree of merit are soon distributed throughout the 
country. It is not necessary to refer to all the ferns that have been 
introduced within, say, the last three years or so, but there are some 
quite indispensable to the smallest collection, and to those special 
attention will be directed. 
Adiantum gracillinwm must have the highest place upon the list, 
for it is not only one of the finest of new introductions, but it is also 
one of the very best of the genus to which it belongs. It isin some 
respects more elegant than Adiantum cuneatum, which is deservedly 
a favourite of all who take the slightest interest inferns. It is similar 
in habit to it, and the fronds are of much the same size, but the 
pinne are much smaller, and the fronds are consequently lighter in 
appearance. For bouquets it is of the utmost value, for the fronds 
may be so arranged that they form a tracery of the lightest green 
over the flowers. The fronds remain in good condition for a con- 
siderable period after their removal from the plants, which, it should 
be said, thrive in a cool house. 
