CULTIVATION OF THE VERBENA. 107 



Like most other diseases, mildew is best met by preven- 

 tion rather than cure, and for this reason all care should 

 be taken to avoid the extremes referred to, and, as far as 

 possible, to avoid great variation of temperature. Sul- 

 phur is applied in various ways to destroy mildew, but will 

 often fail if the disease has gained much headway. The 

 best way is to use it mildly as a preventive. This is done 

 by boiling 3 Ibs. of sulphur and 3 Ibs. of lime in 6 gallons 

 of water until it is reduced to 2 gallons ; allow the liquid to 

 settle until it gets clear, then put it in a jar or bottle it for 

 use. One gill of this is mixed in 5 gallons of water and 

 syringed over the Roses in the evening. Applied in this 

 weak state it does not injure the leaves, and yet has the 

 effect of preventing milde\v, if perseveringly attended to, 

 as the seeds of mildew seemingly cannot vegetate in an 

 atmosphere or in a soil impregnated with sulphur. 



Roses, when grown in pots, particularly in cold pits, 

 are often much troubled by the common angle-worm. An 

 effective means of destroying them is to slake a peck of 

 lime in 50 gallons of water, and water the plants freely 

 with the liquid after it has become clear. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



CULTIVATION OF THE VERBENA 



I much doubt if there is another chapter in this work in 

 which so much interest will be taken by many gardeners as 

 in this, for hundreds of them, entirely successful in all other 

 operations, signally fail with the Verbena. As it is 

 known to thousands that in this matter we have always 

 been successful, they will have interest in knowing what 

 our peculiar mode of culture is that thus far has exempted 

 as from the disease affecting this plant known as 



