SOME OF THE PESTS AND DISEASES 129 



attention. This is a most effectual remedy and deserves 

 to be widely known. In wet weather the dustings must 

 be repeated as the rains wash away the powder. It is a 

 good plan to dust round about plants that are subject to 

 their depredations, and any slug that may come into con- 

 tact with the powdered alum will most assuredly never 

 visit the spot again. 



GREEN FLY. This is, in some seasons, when the 

 weather assists its propagation, a source of some anxiety 

 to growers. It is one of the commonest members of the 

 aphide family, and increases at an astonishing rate. 

 Constant syringing of the plants acts as a deterrent, 

 however, and a spraying with some insecticide, such as a 

 weak decoction of quassia chips and water with the ad- 

 dition of a small quantity of soft soap, or with a solution 

 of soft soap, made up of two-ounces of the latter to each 

 gallon of water, the affected plants being syringed with 

 vigour, should quickly eradicate the trouble. If done 

 in the late afternoon or the cool of the evening, and 

 followed by a good syringing with clear water on the 

 succeeding morning, this pest is usually got rid of. 



THRIPS. Just as the plants are giving evidence of 

 coming into flower, the plants, not seldom, are troubled 

 with this pest, especially in hot, dry seasons. Thrips 

 attack the flowers, and unless very speedily eradicated 

 they will spoil not only the flowers, but the plants too. 

 Moist conditions in this case, too, act as a great deterrent, 

 and if the syringe be brought into frequent use, and the 

 plants be given a free spraying for a time with clear soot 

 water, the pest may be dislodged. We have great faith, 

 however, in the use of soft-soap solution, referred to as 

 an insecticide in the case of green fly, and do not hesitate 

 to apply this in the first instance rather than wait to see 

 the effect of the cold douches to which we previously 

 referred. 



OTHER SOURCES OF TROUBLE. We have already dealt 



