INSECT PESTS. AND DISEASES. 179 



REMEDIES. Hand-picking the larvse, by means of 

 women and children, has been found a very efficient 

 remedy, and might be practised with advantage in the 

 case of low trees. A dusting of caustic lime will also 

 destroy them ; but the application of the remedy may 

 have to be repeated, as many of the larvae, by casting 

 their skin, can rid themselves of the lime for once, but 

 apparently are unable to do so a second time. Soap-suds, 

 tobacco-water, lime-water, and solutions of hellebore 



FIG. 52. SLUG-WORM OK SAWFLY. 



powder in water, will also destroy the slug worm. Trees 

 bearing fruit should not be syringed with the latter, as 

 it is highly poisonous, and dangerous to those partaking 

 freely of the fruit should any of the powder still adhere 

 to it. The perfect insects are very sluggish during dull 

 weather, and may often be shaken down on a cloth and 

 destroyed. The surface soil, to the depth of three or four 

 inches, should be removed from immediately under the 

 trees in winter, if badly affected, and filled up with fresh 

 soil and gas lime, or burnt, to destroy the cocoons with 



