HOW TO DESTROY INSECTS. 55 



trees, as well as indoor plants, in preserving in good 

 health from mildew, scale, red spider, etc.; 



Flour of sulphur, two ounces, worked to- a paste vrith 

 a little water ; sal- soda, two ounces ; cut tobacco, half 

 an ounce ; quicklime, the size of a duck's egg ; water, 

 one gallon! Boil together and stir for fifteen minutes, 

 and let cool and settle. In using, dilute lightly if plants 

 are tough and hard woods, but dilute much if plants 

 are tender, and then syringe with water after each ap- 

 plication. 



A. Good Wash and Preventive of Insects. 



A lady thus describes how she prevents insects from 

 troubling her plants : 



" I take one ounce of carbonate ot ammonia and a 

 half ounce of sulphuric acid, and mix together (which 

 forms the same as sulphate of ammonia), to which I 

 add one drachm of creosote, and put all into two-gallons 

 o.'.' rain-water. I then pour into each pot about a gil 1 

 once a month. This keeps the insects from the roots, 

 besides being a good manure. Once or twice a week I 

 give the plants a thorough drenching with lukewarm 

 water, which keeps them from the leaves, besides wash- 

 ing the dust off the leaves, which is sure to accumulate 

 on all plants kept in the house/' 



.. " I read so much about carbonate of ammonia in the 

 Cabinet that I procured some and went to showering 

 my plants with it. I can testify that it is not over- 



