138 THE PRACTICAL GARDEN -BOOK 



last for a long time. It is also effective against other In- 

 sects. For mealy bugs, two tablespoonfuls of the oil to one 

 pint of water will make an effective dipping or spraying so- 

 lution. Soft or rain-water should be used, and tin, wooden, 

 or earthenware vessels. Galvanized iron vessels are to be 

 avoided. Apply forcibly with a syringe or atomizer, prefer- 

 ably in the evening. If effective, the mealy bug 

 w iH turn buff -color. For other Insects, except for 

 the scale, mentioned below, the solution will not 

 need to be more than half or a fourth so strong. 



The codlin-moth 



Where there are only a few mealy bugs, the plant 

 may be gone over with a soft brush and the Insects 

 crushed. 



Scales are most commonly of a brown or whitish 

 color, flat or tortoise -shaped, and easily seen. They adhere 

 closely by the under surface of their bodies to the stems, 

 branches, and foliage of woody plants. The mature Insect 

 is stationary, and its body at length becomes a shell contain- 

 ing hundreds of eggs. These hatch, and the young emerge 

 from the shell, crawl about and settle, to develop into the fa- 

 miliar form. A strong solution of fir-tree oil, like that used for 

 mealybugs, is a good remedy. A strong solution of whale-oil 

 soap, made by adding an ounce or more of the soap to three 

 gallons of water, even more if necessary, is also useful in 

 combating them. After dipping or syringing the plants 

 they may be allowed to stand over night, when they should 

 be rinsed off with clear water. Applications may need re- 

 peating every three or four days until the Insects are gotten 

 rid of. It is difficult, for a time, to tell when they are dead. 

 If killed, the bodies will fall off easily, and in the case of the 

 soft-shelled species shrivel up somewhat after a time. 

 Kerosene and water emulsion (see Kerosene) will kill them. 



Insecticide. A substance which will kill insects. 

 Insecticides are of two general classes those that kill by 

 contact (see Kerosene) , and those that poison the insect (see 

 Paris Green and Hellebore). 



