57 



Hover Flies drop their white eggs amongst a colony of 

 the Dolphins, and the resulting maggots feed ravenously 

 upon them. They are rather horrid creatures, somewhat 

 leech-like and green, grey or reddish in colour. 



The Lady Birds do good in both stages, for adults 

 and larvae (" niggers ") feed upon these pests incessantly. 



In spite of all these " natural checks " the Roses 

 become covered and spoiled by plant lice, and man has to 

 help himself and cannot rely on nature to do everything. 

 Ants are usually found amongst a colony of Aphides ; 

 they go to them to extract the honey-dew. 



PREVENTION AND TREATMENT. 



It is quite impossible to do away with the second 

 host plant of S. dirhoda, but some good may be done 

 by keeping all teazels away from our gardens and rosaries, 

 and so check the S. roses. Aphis may easily be kept in 

 check on Roses by spraying, but this must be done with 

 care. The writer has seen Roses as badly damaged by 

 the washes used as by the Green Fly. 



The reason is the Rose will not stand any strong 

 corrosive spray. A particular Rose may do so at one 

 time, but at another it will have its foliage ruined. 



Moreover, a strong corrosive wash is not necessary 

 to kill Aphides. All that we have to do is to block up 

 the breathing pores, and so asphyxiate them. This may 

 be done with simple soft-soap and water. For the 

 spraying of Roses you must get the best soap, and not 

 use more than i-lb of soap to 25 gallons of water. To 

 this may be added 2^-lbs. of quassia chips. The effect 

 of the latter is undoubtedly most beneficial, for it acts as 

 a stimulant and cleanser to the leaves, and by many 



