XI 

 PESTS AND DISEASES 



RABBITS and hares are very fond of Carnations. Efficient 

 fencing is the only remedy, but as hares leap a fairly high 

 fence, this characteristic of puss must not be forgotten. 

 Rats, when abundant, prove destructive during winter, 

 especially in the case of pot plants. A vole in one in- 

 stance gave me some trouble before it was secured, and 

 it was at last caught by means of a Malmaison leaf placed 

 in one of those open traps which, on the release of a 

 spring, execute the victim instantaneously. 



Sparrows and finches, where they abound, do much 

 harm to Carnations by " nibbling " the foliage in early 

 summer. It is almost impossible to protect the plants 

 by means of netting, which is however a help. In 

 addition, repeated dustings of soot applied when the 

 foliage is wet, or syringing with extract of quassia, is 

 advantageous. 



Pheasants are peculiarly destructive, and are fondest 

 of the Carnation and Pink from autumn to early summer, 

 when the only certain method of circumventing their 

 unwelcome attentions, is to net closely. 



Cuckoo spit is sometimes troublesome. This is the 

 larva of an insect, Aphrophora spumaria y allied to green fly. 

 It is so common everywhere, that every boy or girl is 

 acquainted with the frothy-like envelope that hides and 

 protects it. It destroys the stems of Carnations and 



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