58 On destroying the Mealy Bug and White Scale. 



so liable to be infested with, I send you the following, which, 

 as I can recommend it with the utmost confidence, I hope 

 will be found serviceable to those gardeners whose pines are 

 unfortunately so situated. As one cannot be too particular in 

 communicating information of this sort, and as a full descrip- 

 tion has double the effect of the sending you a mere recipe, 

 unaccompanied with a detail of the operations, I shall minutely 

 relate the measures I took, until I finally succeeded in clearing 

 my plants of those pernicious insects. 



When I first came to Shugborough, I found the pine plants 

 literally covered with the mealy bug and white scale ; the for- 

 mer had likewise so completely overrun the vines, that every 

 bunch of grapes had to undergo an entire cleansing before it 

 could be presented to table. In the course of my experience 

 I had never met with the mealy bug before ; and I was told by 

 old and experienced gardeners, that I never should be able to 

 get rid of it, and that my best plan was to throw away the 

 plants, and get a fresh stock. This, however, I was unwilling 

 to do, as the stock was large (never having less than a thou- 

 sand plants here), so I determined to attempt to destroy the 

 insects. For this purpose, I adopted Mr. Nichol's recom- 

 mendation (mentioned in his Forcing Gardener) : I got 2 lb. 

 soft soap, 2 lb. flour of sulphur, 1 lb. leaf-tobacco, 2 oz. nux 

 vomica, and I added 1 quart train-oil, and boiled them all up 

 together, in 8 gallons of soft water. I had the plants taken up, 

 shook them out of the pots, and cut off the x'oots of the greater 

 part of them ; they were then washed all over with the mix- 

 ture : the rafters, trellises, &c. were all washed with it, as hot 

 as it could be applied. I then took about 1 ft. of the surface of 

 the bark-beds oif, which I thought quite sufficient (instead of 

 taking out all the bark, as is recommended by some), as it is 

 not possible that insects or their eggs can exist below that ; 

 and after adding fresh tan, and turning the beds just as usual, 

 the plants were replunged. This dressing completely destroyed 

 the mealy bug, and 1 have never seen it in the place since. I 

 thought I had destroyed the scale likewise; but, in about twelve 

 months after, it again made its appearance upon some of the 

 plants. As soon as I perceived it, I had the plants taken up 

 and dressed with the same stuff; but, notwithstanding my ut- 

 most vigilance, which I continued for five or six years in this 

 way, I found the insect increasing on my hands. I should have 

 then given the whole stock a dressing ; for, if it once gets 

 amongst pines, it is in vain to expect to get rid of it by partial 

 clearing ; but I was unwilling to do this, because of an import- 

 ant objection I had to the former mixture, as it stunted the 

 growth of the plants, and gave them an unhealthy appearance. 



