i3o FRUIT GROWING FOR AMATEURS 



one dessertspoonful in 1 gallon of soapy water, containing at 

 least 1 oz. of soap. Petroleum or paraffin emulsions, as they 

 are called, seldom " keep unless they are repeatedly churned 

 up or squirted out of the syringe back into the pail. 



Quassia and Tobacco Solutions. Another preparation 

 of a similar nature which I have found highly destructive of 

 insect life is made by dissolving 1 oz. carbonate of ammonia 

 (rock ammonia) and 5 to 8 oz. of soap in 5 gallons of water. 

 Quassia solutions are old and good remedies ; boil J Ib. of the 

 chips in a little water and add this to 2 or 2 J gallons of soapy water 

 (an ordinary pailful), or else get the concentrated quassia ex- 

 tract and use it as directed. Tobacco water, another old remedy 

 which renders the foliage distasteful to insects much as quassia 

 does, is made by boiling 2 to 4 oz. of tobacco in 1 gallon of water ; 

 cigar ends, cigarette stumps, pipe residue or black tobacco 

 will prove best for this. Many readers may not know that the 

 Tobacco plants (Nicotiana) which are grown as annuals can be 

 utilised to make insecticidal solution. Hang them up to decay 

 in a moist atmosphere, then boil them for a time in water. Hot 

 water at from 100 to 120 is quite a useful insecticide that will 

 do no harm to plants. 



Leaf-eating Caterpillars such as live on Gooseberries 

 succumb only when their iood supply, the leaves, is poisoned. 

 Hellebore powder dusted over the bushes acts well, but that 

 is rather a wasteful process ; arsenic poisons, such as Paris green 

 and arsenate of lead, are much better, and they can be applied 

 as a spray when thoroughly stirred into tap water or lime water 

 at the rate of 1 oz. to 4 or 5 gallons. Arsenic solution must be 

 repeatedly stirred up ; arsenate of lead will be found best. 

 Soot, the household chimney variety, which has lain aside 

 for some time, is the best deterrent for such pests. Lime is not 

 of much value as an insecticide, though it can be used when no 

 others are available. Arsenic solutions are excellent for fruiting 

 trees and bushes of all kinds, but every gardener will recognise 

 the fact that the bushes must be syringed with clean tepid 

 water a few days later in order to remove traces of the poison 

 from the fruit. Ordinary sulphur stirred into water containing 

 some treacle keepa off red spider when sprayed over their haunts ; 

 borax is nauseous to ants and cockroaches. 



Using Insecticides. Trees or bushes which have been 

 infested at any time with destructive pests are liable to buffer 



