WEEDS AND PESTS AND DISEASES 143 



trap, or several if there are many runs. Never touch 

 these traps with the naked hands, or you will catch no 

 moles; always use gloves. Set the traps firmly in the 

 runs, and remove at once as soon as they have " sprung." 



Rats and Mice are great nuisances in the flower garden, 

 but fortunately not common. They are caught in traps 

 sold for the purpose, baited with meat or cheese. 



Slugs and Snails. These are some of the worst of the 

 gardener's enemies. They eat off many choice plants at 

 the ground line, and attack both young and old plants. 

 These creatures have a huge appetite, and are difficult 

 to find. Gardeners sometimes go slug-hunting at night 

 with a lantern, but this is a laborious process. Choice 

 plants can be protected by surrounding them with a 

 circle of soot or quicklime, and renewing it frequently ; 

 or a ring of zinc can be put round very small plants. The 

 patent slug- traps now offered by nurserymen act well. 

 The slugs caught in traps are best disposed of by turning 

 them out into a pail of hot salt water. Ground can be 

 cleared of slugs and snails to a large extent by liming it 

 well, or by applying a soil fumigant. Gaslime is unneces- 

 sary. 



Thrips. Flowers out of doors are sometimes attacked 

 by a small insect known as Thrips. A syringeing with an 

 emulsion made as follows is a cure : Boil two pounds of 

 soft soap in water, and while hot stir in about i pint of 

 paraffin oil. Dilute slowly until a total quantity of 

 12 gallons is obtained. This liquid will keep. 



Wasps are sometimes a nuisance in the flower garden. 

 They may be killed singly by using a " fly-bat/' But it is 

 best to trap them by placing jars containing old beer or a 

 strong sugar solution in amongst the plants. These can 

 be inverted in pails of water to destroy them. 



Wireworm. This is one of the worst soil pests the 

 gardener has to fight. It is a yellow grub about one 

 inch long, and feeds on plants under the soil. Gaslime is 

 the best material to use, ordinary soil fumigants are not 

 always effective. Traps made by sticking a small piece 



