342 APPENDIX. 



unless looked after rather closely, will destroy their beauty. The 

 green fly is a great pest to parlor and green-house plants ; but 

 they are easily killed in the green-house, by filling the house 

 thoroughly with tobacco smoke at the close of the day, and then 

 shutting it up tight for the night. For 'parlor plants, it will be 

 necessary to put them in large boxes, or barrels, and fill them 

 with smoke, and cover up tight. This will effectually destroy 

 this destructive and disgusting insect. By immersing the plants 

 in a tub of soap-suds, they may be freed from the fly. To do 

 this, a piece of pasteboard should be made to cover the top of 

 the pot, cutting a side slit for the stem ; then, holding the hand 

 over the pasteboard, the pot may be inverted without disturbing 

 the mould, and, by the immersion, the foliage will be effectually 

 freed from the insect. 



The red spider may be detected by examining the leaves, 

 which look yellow and sickly ; but they are so small it will re- 

 quire good eyes to see them. This minute, ugly customer is not 

 so easily got rid of as the green fly. Plants from neglected 

 green-houses are often infested with it. The most effectual way 

 of destroying these insects is to give them repeated syringing 

 with sulphur water. The plants can be taken out of doors in a 

 mild day, and the operation performed upon them, remem- 

 bering that it is important, to syringe the under side of the leaf 

 as well as the upper side, as the red spider will be found in 

 greater abundance there. 



There is another insect, more difficult to get rid of than either 

 of those named. It is the mealy bug, which may be found in 

 the axils of the leaves, and on the stems of Oranges, Camellias, 

 Heaths, &c. They look like little specks of cotton ; but, upon 

 picking them off, a disagreeable, ugly-looking insect will be 

 found imbedded in this glutinous, cottony substance. They are 

 sometimes very troublesome in graperies, and require much care 

 to get' rid of them. They are only to be destroyed by indus- 

 triously picking them off. 



