HOW TO DESTROY INSECTS. 37 



he builds a stationary house, then sallies forth to de- 

 stroy. Too small to be detected by the naked eye, the 

 microscope shows minute red, animated bodies with 

 several legs, not unlike the red spider ; turn his house 

 upside down with a pin, and it appears like a nest full 

 of squirming chickens. These houses, or scales, appear 

 on the leaves, stems, and stalks of ivies, on rose-stalks, 

 and I have seen them on carnations, bouvardias, and the 

 ivy-leaved pelargoniums ; when they are numerous it 

 may well be supposed that the inhabitants are present 

 in vast numbers. A sticky, gummy substance precedes 

 their appearance, which may be noticed in small spat- 

 ters on leaves and wall-paper ; the remedy is to gei 

 them off. Ivies can be washed with an old tooth-brush 

 most effectually, brushing both sides of the leaves, the 

 stems, and stalks with weak soap-suds ; this, if done 

 thoroughly twice a year, will keep a large ivy in good 

 health, even if kept in the house all summer. Smaller 

 ones can be washed oftener with ease. Small ivies 

 should be kept in pots with other plants till a foot or 

 two in length, or even longer ; this not only economizes 

 space, but the ivy will have a stronger root and more 

 rapid growth ; when large enough to be an ornament it 

 may be given a pot by itself." 



Manure-water, Soot-tea, etc. 



" Now let us see the ladies kill the insects. One is 

 told that a sprinkling of wood-ashes will kill the tiny 



