THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



delivered cool. Fumigate on two consecutive evenings, repeat in a week, afterwards 

 fumigate once a fortnight, and the thrips in due course will be eradicated. Syringing the 

 infested trees with the following mixture is effectual : soft soap, 8 ounces ; dissolve in 

 4 gallons of boiling water ; tobacco, 1 pound, place in a vessel, pour in 4 gallons of 

 boiling water, cover over with a sack, strain when cool; mix the soap solution and 

 tobacco decoction together, stir well and apply at a temperature of 90 to 100. Repeat 

 once a week, cleansing the trees with clear water the day after each application. 



Slugs and Snails. Except in orchards and neglected gardens the Black Slug 

 (Arioii ater) is not common, nor the Great Gray Slug (Limax antiquorum or maxi- 

 mus), but the latter is peculiarly fond of ripe fruit, particularly nectarines and 

 peaches, and makes onslaught on grapes, spoiling a bunch in a single night by its slime. 

 These pests travel considerable distances in the night, hiding by day in walls, or where - 

 ever they can get out of direct sunlight. They are very fond of melons ; hence a ripe 

 fruit cut forms a good bait, and they may be traced by the slime, and, perhaps, taken in 

 their lurking-places. It is an easy matter with the aid of a lantern to find them feeding 

 on the fruit at night, leaving the partially-eaten fruit as baits. This slug takes large 

 pieces out of nectarines whilst they are hard but ripening. It passes over lines of quick- 

 lime, and makes nothing of wool wrapped around stems unless the wool is moistened 

 with creosote, and that must be kept off the stem. Specimens stretched out on their 

 night march measure 6 inches in length. 



The Garden Slug (Limax hortensis) is common, small, and slender, feeding vora- 

 ciously on strawberries. Dry soot and quicklime, worked well around and into the crown 

 of the plants before the flowers expand, afford some mitigation of the evil, but nitrate 

 of soda, 1^ to 2 cwts. per acre, or 1 pound to 1J per rod, kills slugs. Apply before 

 much growth is made, preferably in March or early April. Salt, 4 to 5 cwt. per acre, 

 or 3 pounds per rod, destroys snails, slugs, and noxious insects. Distribute it evenly 

 similar to nitrate of soda. Frequent dusting with quicklime late in the evening or 

 early morning annihilates slugs, as does clear lime water applied through the rose of 

 a water-can. An hour after dark is the best time for these applications. Lime water may 

 be made by pouring 3 gallons of water on 1 pound of freshly-slaked lime, stirring well, 

 letting it stand two or three days, then pouring off the clear water. Ducklings turned 

 into slug-infested plots, early and unfed, soon gobble up the molluscs. Ammoniacal liquor 

 from the gas-works, at the rate of ^ pint to 1 gallon of water, used similar to lime water, 

 is effectual, and has manurial and insecticidal values, but must be employed carefully, 



