160 THE HOT-HOUSE. [FEB. 



Plant cuttings of Geranium's, Fuschia's, Myrtles, Hydrangea's, 

 and other Green-House plants in small pots, one or more in each, 

 and plunge them into a hot-bed ; they will now freely strike root 

 and be fine early plants ; these when they begin to grow must have 

 plenty of air occasionally, and be carefully protected at night and in 

 severe weather. 



THE HOT-HOUSE. 



AS most Hot-houses are frequently infested with various kinds 

 of insects, which do very considerable injury to the plants, it may be 

 of some importance to give a description of these, and also the 

 most effectual methods of destroying them. 



Of the Species of INSECTS that infest the PINE-APPLE Plants. 



1. THE BROWN TURTLE INSECT. Coccus hesfieridum, of Linn. 

 This species is not only found upon the pines, and most other plants 

 which grow in Hot-houses, but also upon many plants which are 

 in Green-houses. These insects, after they are arrived at a certain 

 age, fix themselves immoveably to the leaves of the plant; but, be- 

 fore that time, though they generally appear motionless, yet on a 

 close inspection, in a very warm day, many of them, and especially 

 the smaller ones, may be perceived to move to different parts of the 

 plant, being in appearance much like a turtle in miniature. 



A sweet glutinous matter issues from these insects ; this soon 

 turns mouldy, and in time becomes quite black, which causes the 

 plants to appear very unsightly. But as these insects do not, in any 

 other respect, injure the pine plants, I shall pass over them, and 

 proceed to those of a more pernicious nature. 



2. THE WHITE SCALY INSECT. This insect,as far as lean learn, 

 has hitherto remained undescribed ; neither Linnxus, Geoffrey, or 

 Sch&fftr) seem to have known it. 



This species is very nearly allied to the former, both of them 

 being Cocci, and of the oviparous kind : it seems to be exactly si- 

 milar to it in its manner of breeding, the process of which, curious 

 naturalists have observed to be nearly as follows : The eggs which 

 are discharged from the female, are pushed forward between the 

 skin of the belly and the leaf of the plant, to which the insect ad- 

 heres ; in consequence of this, the skin of the belly becomes less 

 distended, which enables the insect to afford a large covering to the 

 eggs already excluded. When the eggs are all discharged, the 

 skin of the belly retreats close to the back of the parent insect, 

 which then appears like a mere scale. If the insect in this state be 

 raised with the point of a needle, from the leaf, a number of eggs 

 may be perceived under it, of a pale red colour, and very transpa- 



