208 ON THE DESTRUCTION OF THE RED SPIDER. 



attended with serious if not fatal consequences. Another train of 

 insurmountable difficulties presented themselves under the old system ; 

 the furm and texture of the foliage of many trees and plants are so 

 small and delicate that no person could effectually clean with the 

 brush, but the. most that could be accomplished was to just preserve 

 the trees from being actually destroyed by the insects. We very 

 frequently find this insect attack our choice fruit trees against the 

 •walls in the open air in dry summers, and often so contiguous to the 

 hot-houses that the old method of brushing the leaf was seldom 

 found sufficient to stand through one season, without being over and 

 over repeated, in consequence of their so rapidly increasing and 

 spreading from the walls on the outside. 



With such a multiplication of obstacles no wonder that the brush- 

 ing system fell into disrepute. The chief object in destroying insects 

 on plants is to make use of a method, where the operation can be 

 performed with ease, dispatch, and without injuring the most delicate 

 foliage ; these and many more essential recommendations are included 

 in a method practised by me, which was originally communicated to 

 me by one of the best practical gardeners I am acquainted with. 

 It is as follows : — Take half a pound of sulphur, put it in a pail, to 

 this add as much water as will make it into a paste ; then put three, 

 four, or six gallons more of water, just as the size of the vessel will 

 allow, stir the mixture until the water appears of a pale buff colour. 

 With this liquid, syringe every plant and leaf in the house on which 

 either the insect exists, or to which the least suspicion is attached ; 

 let it be repeated twice or three times a week, until every part of the 

 foliage is saturated, or as long as the application of water from the 

 syringe is requisite. 



A house naturally damp will, of course, be less liable to the insect ; 

 here the mixture should be applied in a thicker state, and at longer 

 intervals. Most gardeners are of opinion, that there is something 

 very congenial to the constitution of plants in sulphur; when applied 

 externally, it appears, particularly under glass, to enter the whole 

 system. It has been detected in plants by chemists, and there is no 

 doubt but it corrects many diseases in vegetables as well as animals. 



So well has this method answered, that in houses where the plants 

 had previously been much affected every summer for ten years, I 

 now scarcely ever expect to see another instance of their appearance. 





