102 BRITISH MODES OF CULTIVATING 



Insects. " If Pine plants," Nicol observes, " by 

 proper culture, be kept healthy and vigorous, in- 

 sects mil not annoy, but leave them. This fact I 

 have repeatedly proved, both with respect to the 

 Pine, and to other plants that are liable to be af- 

 fected with the coccus, (the only insect that mate- 

 rially injures the Pine), which seems to delight in 

 disease and decay, as flies do in carrion. 



" I have received into my stock, plants covered 

 with the pine-bug, (coccus hesperidum), without 

 the smallest hesitation ; made no effort whatever 

 to get rid of them ; and by next shifting time, in 

 two or three months, have seen no more of them. 

 This I have not done once, but often ; and I have 

 known my brother do the same thing. In short, I 

 never but once in my life have tried any remedy 

 for the bug ; and as I was completely successful, I 

 shall here give the recipe, which may safely be ap- 

 plied to Pine plants in any state ; but certainly best 

 to crowns and suckers at striking them, or to 

 others in the March shifting, when they are shaked 

 out of their pots at any rate. 



" Take soft soap, one pound ; flowers of sulphur, 

 one pound ; tobacco, half a pound ; mix vomica, 

 an ounce ; which boil all together in four English 

 gallons of soft water to three, and set it aside to 

 cool. In this liquor immerse the whole plant, 

 after the roots and leaves are trimmed for potting ; 

 and this is the whole matter. Plants in any other 

 state, and which are placed in the bark-bed, may 

 safely be watered over head with this liquor ; and 



