172 VILLA GARDENING part ii 



never be permitted to i)roduee Weeds, Mosses, or any vegetable 

 growth other than the legitimate occupants. Where order and 

 cleanliness reign health is generally present, and where the latter 

 prevails insects do not often congregate or cause much annoyance. 

 Among soft-wooded plants the green-fly is generally the most 

 troublesome, and in glasshouses that can be kept close Tobacco 

 smoke is the best remedy. If applied iu time — i.e. as soon as 

 the presence of the flies is observed, or as soon after as a suitable 

 evening can be had — two moderate smokings on two separate 

 evenings, with one or two days intervening, will generally suffice 

 to destroy them all. Tobacco does not appear to destroy the eggs 

 of the insects, so when the plants are allowed to become infested 

 several smokings at intervals will be required to clear them off". 

 A damp calm evening is the best for smoking, as the moisture 

 fills up the laps of the glass roof and prevents the smoke escaping, 

 and a much less quantity will sufllce to fill the house. Smoking 

 plant-houses in dry windy weather, unless they can be covered 

 over with canvas, or something to keep the smoke inside, is like 

 throwing time and money away. The foliage of the plants should 

 be dry at the time of smoking. I have tried various substances 

 saturated with Tobacco juice for fmuigating, but paper, when it has 

 been well saturated with the Tobacco liquor and dried, is as cheap 

 and good as anything ; in fiict it is better than most things sold 

 for the purpose. Various contrivances have been from time to 

 time ofl"ered by enterprising people for the burning of Tobacco in 

 its different forms in plant-houses. I have tried a good many, but 

 I do not know anything better than a strong wire basket woven 

 closely, with two or three live coals in the bottom, and the paper, 

 which should be pulled into rather small pieces and placed on the 

 coals, completely covering them up. The Tobacco paper should 

 be placed on the fire before the basket or whatever machine is 

 used is taken into the house, and when fau-ly started there is no 

 occasion for the operator to remain inside with it. When the 

 house is full of smoke, so that he cannot see from end to end, he 

 may step inside and remove it, but otherwise if all goes well he 

 need not remain inside. On no account must the paper be per- 

 mitted to flare ; if it does, the foliage of tender plants will suffer. 

 If the paper is too dry, damp it a little with a fine-rosed water- 

 pot ; and it is always advisable to keep the waterpot handy dming 

 the time the operation is going on in case the machine should get 

 too hot. This does not often happen in the hands of experienced 

 people, because they know how much fii-e is needed, and also how 

 much paper to place on to do the w^ork quickly and well. It is 

 better to have a few well-grown specimen plants than a number of 



