INSECTS AND OTHER ENEMIES. 06 



Thrips is by frequently washing the leaves with clean water, 

 and by fumigating the house with tobacco or tobacco paper. 

 Our method is, to fill the house with tobacco smoke three or 

 four times, at intervals of two or three days, till the insects 

 are quite destroyed ; the evening is the best time to do this. 

 It is also a good plan to mix some lime and sulphur together, 

 and rub it on the pipes in different parts of the house, taking 

 care not to use too much ; and it should be used only when 

 the pipes are warm, not hot ; there should be a good supply 

 of moisture at the same time, but not too much heat. There 

 is also a kind of Eed Thrips which sometimes gets into the 

 heart of the plants, and is very troublesome ; tobacco smoke 

 is the best remedy for this. It is very difficult to perceive, 

 but will soon disfigure the tops of the plants if not kept under. 

 When discovered, the house should be smoked every two or 

 three nights till it is destroyed. The parts on which the 

 insects had established themselves should be washed with 

 tobacco water. Tobacco powder may also be used on the 

 leaves, or even powdered sulphur mixed with water, and 

 applied to the afiected parts with a camel's hair pencil. 



The Geeen Fly or Aphis, which makes its appearance in 

 spring on the young flower buds, may also be destroyed by 

 tobacco smoke ; and of late we have had a yellow Aphis intro- 

 duced, which is a great pest if not kept under, and requires 

 more looking after than the green fly ; smoke will kill this 

 pest, and wherever it is seen it must be washed ofi" with a 

 sponge to prevent its increase. 



The BpvOWn Scale, the White Scale, and the Mealy-bug 

 may be kept under by frequently sponging the leaves and 

 bulbs with water. The White Scale is very troublesome if not 

 looked after. A little soft soap mixed with water, and rubbed 

 over the leaves and bulbs, is a good thing to destroy this kind 

 of scale ; it should remain on for a day, and then be washed 



